Little Daisy Dursley
by dillon224dewey
Summary: Being a single parent is hard. Especially when your only child happens to be a witch. Dudley Dursley grew up hating magic and wizards, but when his wife leaves him with a magical daughter, he knows he has to make up with Harry in order to understand what will be coming in the next few years of their lives.*JK Rowling owns HP, not I* [On Hold]
1. Prologue

When Dudley married a girl from college, a college he only got into because of his boxing scholarship, he never expected to be living without her in a few short years. He had proposed a year and a half after they met. They were married that summer and by the next spring, they were expecting. When Dudley found out he was to have a little one, he was more than ecstatic. His parents, too. But when the nine months of Sarah's pregnancy flew past, Dudley found himself getting more and more overwhelmed. He had suddenly been thinking things, like _What if I'm not good enough?_ Or _What if she doesn't like me? What if she cries every time I hold her?_ He never expressed these feelings to his beloved wife as she lay in bed for days, being on bed rest for her and the baby's safety, because he did not want to bother her or show weakness. He didn't want her to fear that he was not going to be a great dad. Dudley would do anything for his dear daughter.

Their little girl was due in April and not until March did Sarah and Dudley finally decide on a name, Margaret. Dudley had come up with it and Sarah, lying in bed next to him, nodded vigorously. They both smiled at each other and kissed. Dudley did not know this would be the last time that her lips would touch his with the warmth they provided. That night, Sarah went into labor. Dudley was ready in the physical sense, he and Sarah had packed a hospital bag for the both of them and the baby the previous week. Emotionally, however, Dudley was a wreck. He paced the hallway in their foyer for five minutes before finally coming to his senses and helping Sarah out to the car. He drove like a maniac, through the streets of Little Whinging. Maybe it was his nerves or the fact that he did not want to have to deliver his child himself, Dudley had developed road rage that night and very little was his hand off the horn of the car until they reached the hospital.

Dudley cannot remember what happened next. He thinks it was something like this: Sarah was rushed into a delivery room. A nurse helped Dudley put on some blue clothing. He is not sure if it was scrubs or an apron type deal. But he knew when he walked in to watch his wife give birth to his first child, Dudley did not expect it to be his last. He wanted to have a large family with his wife. (His cousin, Harry, who had occasionally sent him Christmas cards had one toddler and his redhead wife announced she was carrying a child around the same time Sarah and Dudley announced their pregnancy. Dudley did not like to admit that he was envious of Harry for this.) But his wife, despite smiling, was pale and sweating like crazy. Dudley had expected this, he had read all the parenting books Sarah and his mother had recommended he read. With every push, she screamed and clasped Dudley's hand so tight, he thought it might break, until they could hear their little girl crying, screaming maybe. But Dudley had done something wrong. He went to look at his daughter instead of saying goodbye to his wife, because suddenly three nurses were pushing him out of the room and the others were screaming "CODE BLUE! CODE BLUE!"

"What is that? What does that mean?" Dudley screamed wildly, fighting the nurses, but why, suddenly, did he feel so weak? He had been boxing most of his life, and somehow could not fight off these little women that were half his height. He could see right over their heads, but why did his heart suddenly say _Stay out here, it will be easier._ So that's what Dudley did. He sat on a bench close to the delivery room and waited for what felt like hours but could have been no longer than thirty minutes. Finally a doctor, a male one that he had seen rush into the room, but was not there during the birth of his first child, walked out in the hallway and looked at Dudley with sad eyes.

"No," whispered Dudley.

"Mr. Dursley, your wife suffered severely because of the strain put on her body – "

"–No–"

"But despite our greatest efforts – "

"–No–"

"We were not able to save her."

"No! No. I know this is a joke." Dudley tried to push past the doctor. "Sarah! I know you're in there. I know you can hear me! This isn't funny, darling! Tell him to stop!"

"Mr. Dursley, your wife has died."

"No!" This time it was a sob. And Dudley fell to the floor in front of this doctor he had never met before and sobbed, because that's all he wanted to do.

Over the next few days, nurses kept asking if Dudley wanted to hold his daughter. Hoping this would trigger him into filling out the birth certificate. Dudley stayed at the hospital for three days, sleeping in waiting rooms when he could, but he could not bring himself to hold his daughter.

Then, on the fourth day, something prompted him to say yes to one of the kind nurses. So she brought his gorgeous baby out to him. He looked at her round, pale face and her thin blonde hair and smiled, as it mirrored his own. Her eyes were a dark blue, like her mother's. Seeing her, he knew what her name was.

"Daisy," he gasped breathlessly. The plump nurse hurried to grab the name card on the small plastic crib Daisy had been sleeping in and scribbled out her first name. The card read:

 **Dursley Baby**

 **Born: March 23, 2006  
21:33**

 **Daisy**

Her name was written at the bottom almost as an afterthought. _But then again,_ Dudley thought, _I suppose it was._ Dudley spent the rest of the day holding his daughter in his arms. Finally, he had called his parents and told them the news. Dudley had forgotten about his parents in the moment. He had thought of nothing, but Sarah and the baby for days. But when he held his daughter in his arms, he saw his mother and father pampering her and finally called.

Dudley's mother rushed into the hospital that evening, and spotted Dudley holding his newborn in his arms earnestly. And when she tried to take her granddaughter in her arms, Dudley shook his head and tears filled his eyes. Petunia understood and watched her son bond with his offspring for the rest of the night. Vernon, however, sat on the other side of Dudley a little less enthusiastic about his granddaughter than his wife. His son was a single father, what would their neighbors think? Vernon understood Dudley's pain, or tried to, he couldn't imagine life without Petunia. But he couldn't sympathize well, it was never his best quality. Instead, he settled for watching his son and wife ooze over the tiny addition to their family.

Years later, Dudley noticed something was odd when he took Little Daisy to his parent's house after a visit with Harry and his children, James, Albus, and Lily. Aunt Marge had a habit of talking badly about Harry, who happened to be one of Daisy's favorite relatives. Dudley did not encourage this, but he, to his parents' dislikes, did not discourage it either. But Marge was talking about how filthy and disgusting that "nephew of yours Petunia" is, Daisy turned red in the face and squeezed her eyes shut. Something she did when she got angry. The tighter her face was scrunched, the angrier she was. Dudley picked up on this and laid a careful hand on Daisy's shoulder, but his hand burnt suddenly and he drew it away with a quick "Ouch!" His parents and aunt turned to look at him at once, Marge cutting off mid-sentence.

"Go on, Auntie Marge. I just pricked my hand on something."

"Right, so anyway, that nephew of yours, Petunia."

"You know, Auntie Marge," said Daisy loudly, her face contorted into a crooked smile and her blue eyes flashed with something Dudley had never seen before. "Harry comes to our house all the time. He has three children: James, Albus, and Lily. They are all very nice. Do you have any nice children?"

"Now, now, Daisy," Dudley tried to pull his daughter away before she got into any trouble. "Remember what Daddy told you, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy. Treat others how you want to be treated? Is that how Auntie Marge wants to be treated?" she whispered innocently.

Dudley kneeled in front of Daisy and smiled kindly. "Let's just be quiet and then we can go home and have some pudding!"

"Alright!" Daisy smiled and turned back to Aunt Marge.

This new found silence only lasted an hour until the topic was brought back to Dudley's cousin and Daisy's face scrunched up once more. Suddenly, Marge's chair broke from underneath her and her mug of hot tea went flying into the air and landed on her head, burning her scalp no doubt. The entire time, Daisy was not hastily trying to find a rag to get the steaming beverage off of her great aunt, no, she stood there with a satisfied smile and nodded at her dad. Dudley bid farewell to his parents and took his daughter to their home. Daisy was seven at the time.

The next time something odd happened was on Daisy's tenth birthday. She had mentioned, about a billion times, that she wanted a computer for her birthday. Though Dudley had no intention of getting one for her, he went to the store and looked at some computers that might be suitable for a girl her age. He couldn't help it. She had said she wanted one so she could work like Daddy, as Dudley had been working at home since she started school. So Dudley walked out of the store with a refurbished ACER for his little Daisy.

Daisy was so excited when she opened her gift (Dudley had added some add-ons to make it completely child-safe) that she ran around the living room cheering for ten minutes. The lights flickered which Dudley contributed to the storm, since it _was_ March. Later to find out how wrong he was. Daisy had finally sat down to open the rest of her presents which included a couple things from his parents, a gift certificate from Aunt Marge, and a card from Sarah's brother, whom only wrote every few years because he blamed Dudley and Daisy for Sarah's death.

"Daddy? Can you tell me the story about you and Mommy again?" Daisy asked that night at bedtime.

"Of course, my birthday princess." Dudley kissed Daisy's forehead and launched into the story about how Dudley and Sarah met when she ran right into him after a maths lesson. After Dudley finished, he expected to hear content snores from his little Daisy, but instead, she sat straight up in bed and asked him a question he never thought he'd have to answer.

"Why does Uncle Brandon hate me?" Daisy's eyes teared up and Dudley's heart broke into a billion pieces. As the first tear slid down his precious baby's cheek, the door to her room slammed shut. Dudley stood up to close the window, but was surprised to find it was not open. Books started pouring from the shelves beside Daisy's bed as more and more tears poured out of her eyes. Dudley was frightened to say the least, but he did not hesitate to pull his daughter into a tight hug until she fell asleep.

That night he called Harry Potter, Dudley knew he was the only person that would be able to understand.

Dudley did not tell his parents that he knew what his daughter was, a witch. He told them that he could not come around because Daisy was sick or he had to work. He made up excuses to avoid his parents becoming suspicious of his child. Harry had warned Dudley of Daisy's eleventh birthday.

"You remember all those letters that came to Number 4 because of me? If you ignore them, that's what will happen to Daisy. Don't try to conceal this, Dudley. Be confident in her, and tell her now, don't wait."

So Dudley did and it was probably the hardest thing he did, because he himself did not know much about magic, let alone enough to teach his daughter about it. But Dudley told his daughter what she was, pulled her out of school, moved into a big, luxurious house across town and started raising his daughter in an entirely different way.


	2. Chapter One: The Letter

On Daisy's eleventh birthday, she rose early. Even earlier than her father and she skipped out of her room into a wide hallway down to a bathroom where she was barely tall enough to see herself in the oval mirror that hung on the wall over both sinks. Daisy stepped on to a step stool her dad got her when they moved into this house a few months ago and started brushing through her blonde curls. Her dad always told her that she had the locks of her mother, despite Sarah Dursley being a brunette, she often was told she looked a lot like her.

Daisy turned and concentrated hard on her slippers in the corner. _Come here._ She waved her hand back and forth and finally yelled "Come here!" The slippers did not stir. _I hate magic,_ she thought. She had been trying to get her slippers to walk to her for a little less than a year as her father had told her that she was a witch and she could do magic. She didn't believe him at first, but she made a joke about it with Harry and he explained everything to her. James, Albus, and Lily were all like her. Even Harry and Ginny were like her! She wasn't a freak because of it, she was just young and didn't know how to control it yet. Harry told her that she needed a wand to perform spells, but she was pretty sure if she tried hard enough, she could do it before she got her wand. Daisy finally gave up and stepped down. She walked gracefully across the tile floor and slipped her feet comfily in the slippers.

She left the bathroom quietly shutting the door behind her and found her father's study's doorway. She walked in and strolled along the bookcases. Her fingers caressed all of the spines of the books carefully. When she finally reached the bookshelf closest to the wall, her bookshelf, she read the titles carefully. She liked to read, a lot. And she read often. Harry had given her some books to read about the "Wizarding World". _A History of Magic_ sounded nice, so for her birthday present to herself, she pulled the book off the shelf. Carefully, Daisy walked to her father's desk and climbed into his leather desk chair. She settled in nicely and started reading.

Dudley woke up around ten that morning and when he noticed Daisy's slippers were not in her bathroom, he knew where to find his little girl. He headed for his study and when he opened the door he found Daisy curled up in his desk chair with her face in a book called _A History Of_ … Something. Dudley couldn't see the last word as Daisy's hand was covering it.

"Let me finish this chapter, Daddy, and then we can go have birthday pancakes," said Daisy casually, peering over her book at her father. Dudley nodded kindly. He stood in the doorway in his blue striped pajamas. He watched his daughter silently as her eyes zoomed from left to right. Finally, she looked up at him, setting her book down on his desk. She slid out of his chair and walked over to him. He held his hand out to her and together, they walked down to the kitchen.

Daisy climbed into a bar stool at the island as Dudley turned on the stove and mixed the pancake mix. They sat quietly, the only sound was Daisy humming as she watched her father dance around the kitchen. The occasional giggle hiccupped her song when her father leaned over and kissed her nose. When the pancakes were done, Dudley put a plate in front Daisy.

"Happy birthday, Princess."

"Thank you, Daddy."

Dudley sat beside his daughter and they both ate pancakes together on the morning of the day that would change their lives.

Dudley knew what was coming, so he invited his cousin and his family over today. Albus had received his letter the month earlier, so the family was very willing to come. Dudley and Harry had spent the last year of their lives bonding more than they ever had, and Dudley saw Harry more often than he saw his own parents.

"Daisy, darling, Harry, Ginny, and the kids are coming today, go get dressed, alright? I'll clean up down here."

"Alright, Daddy." So Daisy went upstairs with no arguments about usually being able to stay in her pajamas on her birthday.

Arriving in her room, Daisy smiled to herself. "I'm a witch, and I'm going to Hogwarts." For a moment, Daisy just laid on her bed sighing to herself. Suddenly, she sprang upright and walked to her closet. She looked around her walk-in closet and stood on her tip-toes to reach a sapphire dress. It was a velvet fabric at the top with long sleeves, but at her waist, it flowed into a princess bottom. It was one of Daisy's favorite dresses, but she had little reason to wear it. Daisy also slipped off her slippers and put on a pair of black sandals that she wore so often the soles were starting to wear.

Daisy made her way back to the bathroom and brushed through her blonde curls once more, this time pulling them back into a ponytail that she tied with a bow that matched the color of her dress.

"Daisy! You have guests!"

Daisy ran past her open room and down the stairs as quick as she could.

"Harry!" she jumped on her second cousin. He caught her with ease and smiled at her. She batted her eyes at him.

"Happy Birthday, Daisy."

"Thank you, Harry."

He put her down and ushered the rest of his family into the living room. Ginny was holding Lily's hand as they walked in. Daisy looked down at Lily and smiled. James pulled her into a hug and wished her a happy birthday in her ear and Albus did the same. She thanked them both and invited them all to sit down. Her dad had excused himself, so he could go get dressed as he had been too busy cleaning the kitchen when the Potters arrived.

"Harry? I read in _Hogwarts, A History_ that Muggleborns don't get letters, they get a spokesperson from Hogwarts. Why am I going to get a letter?"

"Well, Daisy, your dad already knows about the Wizarding World, so he doesn't need explaining. And the Headmistress knows I'm here to help you and your dad to understand the things you don't, so she doesn't think it's necessary to send someone out here to just tell you what you already know."

Daisy nodded just as her dad walked down the stairs in some blue jeans and a white t-shirt. "Daisy, did you offer your visitors some tea?"

"Oh, no need," said Ginny sweetly. "I'll get it, I know where everything is and Lily can help me." She led her daughter out of the room and smiled sweetly at the birthday girl.

"So, Harry," Dudley spoke up now, knowing today was the time for questions if he had any. "If I remember correctly, the entrance to the train, this Hogwarts Express, is magical. So, what do I do? How will Daisy know how to do this? I can't show her."

"I'll meet you there, and I'll take Daisy school shopping, too, as you need magic to enter Diagon Alley." Albus smiled at his father, and Daisy was the only one who caught Albus admiring his father secretly.

"Dad? Is Daisy going to go shopping with us?"

"Yeah, Al. What d'you expect Mum and Dad to take us separately?" his older brother teased.

"James Sirius, be kind to your brother. He's new to this, just like you were a couple years ago." James flushed at either the use of his middle name or the admittance that he had been new to the feeling of being a wizard, Daisy couldn't decide. "Yes, Al, Daisy will come with us and you'll get your wands and books and robes and the other things on your school list while we're there. You'll be okay." Albus nodded attentively.

Daisy smiled, loving that Harry, James, and Albus would be there with her on this exciting journey. Suddenly, she noticed her dad and Harry were both staring at a window. A brown owl was sitting on the outside sill, waiting patiently to be let in. Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out some owl nuts and handed them to Daisy. "Go open the window, he'll fly in."

Daisy took the owl nuts into her hand and walked across the room to the window where the owl sat expectantly. She unlocked it with caution and pulled the glass open. The brown owl, as expected, swooped into the room and sat on the glass coffee table. Dudley was still staring with wide eyes at the creature. The owl lifted his right leg towards Daisy, it was then that Daisy noticed the large envelope tied to the owl's leg. "Go on, untie it," prodded Harry. Daisy untied the letter and gave the owl a treat. It quickly flew back out the window. Ginny had appeared in the room with Lily by her side at some point. She held a tray of tea and told Lily to close the window. Daisy looked at the envelope in her hands. It read:

 **Daisy Dursley  
2 Victoria Station Approach  
Hulne,  
England**

"Open it, darling," Dudley had finally stopped staring at the window and looked at his daughter sincerely.

"What if I don't want to be a witch? What if I want to be normal?"

"Honey, we talked about this. You are normal. Just in a different way than Daddy is, okay?" Dudley tried to ignore the way his company was staring at him. He looked into her dark blue eyes that reminded him so much of his wife's and said, "Daisy, you're going to open that letter and you're going to go Hogwarts and you're going to be a great witch. You're going to be even better than dear old Harry over here, okay? You are going to be so great at using magic, that they're going to dedicate an entire book to all the records you broke. So open that letter and be the best." Daisy smiled, tears filling her eyes. Slowly, she looked at the envelope she held in her hand and opened it. There were two pieces of parchment in it.

The top page of parchment had an emblem at the top, a crest that had a lion, snake, badger, and eagle in all four corners, and in the middle was an 'H'. Below the crest was a ribbon that read, "Draco Dormeins Nunquam Titillandus." The rest of the parchment looked like this:

 ** _Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry  
Headmistress: Minerva McGonagall_**

 _Dear Miss Dursley,_

 _We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of necessary books and equipment._

 _Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July._

 _Yours sincerely,  
Minerva McGonagall  
Headmistress_

Daisy flipped the letter over and back again and reread it aloud. Everyone clapped and Daisy found herself smiling at the page. She finally switched to the next page and read that aloud too.

 ** _Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_**

 ** _Uniform_**

 _F_ _irst-year students will require:_

 _1._ _Three sets of plain work robes (black)_

 _2._ _One plain pointed hat (black) for daywear_

 _3._ _One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)_

 _4._ _One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)_

 _Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags._

 ** _Course Books_**

 _All students should have a copy of each of the following:_

 _The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) – By Miranda Goshawk_

 _A History of Magic – By Bathilda Bagshot_

 _Magical Theory – By Adalbert Waffling_

 _A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration – By Emeric Switch_

 _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi – By Phyllida Spore_

 _Magical Drafts and Potions – By Arsenius Jigger_

 _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – By Newt Scamander_

 _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection – By Quentin Trimble_

 ** _Other Equipment_**

 _1 wand_

 _1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)_

 _1 set glass or crystal phials_

 _1 telescope_

 _1 set brass scales_

 _Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad._

 _PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS_

 _ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK_

 _Yours sincerely,  
Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus  
Chief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions_

Daisy finally stopped reading and looked at her dad. "Daddy? Can I get a kitty, pweeaassee?" Dudley glanced at Harry, who looked away quickly, and nodded reluctantly. Albus clapped his hands together suddenly and everyone looked at him.

"I get an owl!" Albus said excitedly to Daisy and they beamed at each other for a while. Finally, Daisy turned away and looked at Harry, who was also beaming. He nodded to the chair across for him, inviting Daisy to ask any questions she had.

After sitting in the armchair beside her father, Daisy looked at the time on the clock hanging in the living room and smiled. It was mid-afternoon and the Potters were staying until at least dinner time. She had so many questions to ask, and she knew they would willingly answer every single one of them.


	3. Chapter Two: Diagon Alley

The rest of the year passed quickly in Dudley's eyes and his little girl grew up right before his eyes before he knew it he was seeing her off with Harry and his boys. Daisy had grown at least three inches over the summer and had started calling Dudley, Dad instead of Daddy, which he preferred much more.

"See you, Dad," Daisy called as she dipped into Harry's car and waved as an afterthought. Albus slipped in after her as James and Harry climbed into the front seat. The car roared to life and took off down the road as Dudley stood on his walk and stared at it as it sped down the road. When he couldn't see the bumper, he went inside, settled in his study and started on a report he had due at work.

Daisy, meanwhile, was having the time of her life. James was laughing as his dad played some _Spice Girls_ music that was popular when he was a kid. Daisy had never heard any of the songs, but she didn't care, she just liked being in the company of her cousins. Finally, the car pulled up in front of a pub that was called "The Leaky Cauldron." Daisy looked at Harry questioningly, but they all got out of the charmed car and it drove away without its driver. Harry led the kids into the pub and waved to the bartender. Albus and James seemed unperturbed by this, so Daisy relaxed, assuming Harry knew what he was doing. He took out his wand and touched a brick on the wall. The wall opened and the three of them stepped through it to find a town full of shops. They were families crowded in the streets, everyone shopping for school.

"Daisy, Welcome to Diagon Alley!" said James as the wall behind them shut. "The wizarding shopping centre of London!" James gestured to the shops around them and smiled. He started pointing at shops and explaining them as Harry led the group to the first stop of the day, Madam Malkin's. "That's where we'll get our robes for this year," James animated, still smiling from ear to ear. Daisy could tell that James loved Hogwarts and was excited for her chance, too.

"James, I don't think you'll need new robes this year, you haven't grown as much as you did last summer."

"But Dad─"

"No, James, no buts, you know how your mother is about not going over the budget. I'm still in trouble for letting you come home from school for Daisy's birthday." Daisy flushed involuntarily. She hadn't even thought about her birthday being during the school year and James had been at her house for the occasion.

"You're going to love Hogwarts," James said, turning to Daisy, giving his father the silent treatment. The group had finally reached Madam Malkin's. They walked into a small shop where racks of clothing hung. A young, squat woman, dressed all in mauve who seemed very friendly, approached them. Daisy smiled kindly at her as she greeted Harry and James.

"This must be Albus and Lily, yes? I missed you last year because your mother insisted on going to Eeylops Owl Emporium instead of crowding my shop with you lot. So nice to meet you. Your father speaks highly of both of you." The woman gushed before any of them had a chance to tell her that Daisy was not Harry's daughter.

"Oh, no. Madam Malkin, that's Albus, my son, yes. But that's Daisy, my cousin's daughter. She's just found out that she is a witch."

"Oh. My, my. Excuse me dears." Madam Malkin smile kindly at Daisy and ushered James out of the way as she started measuring Albus.

As Madam Malkin started mending the black robes for Albus, Harry started conversation. "How's Madam Malkin the first?" he joked.

"My mother? Why, she's fine. Retired at her best. She lives in a Muggle neighborhood and she loves the, er, television? That box with the pictures in it. They don't answer when you talk to them though."

Harry laughed heartily. "That would be the television, they're called movies, Madam."

"Mhmm," Madam Malkin had gotten done with Albus's robes and motioned for Daisy to stand on the stool as Albus took off his robes and handed them to his dad while he fixed his jet black hair. Daisy stood on the stool carefully as Madam Malkin slipped Daisy's robes over her head. She mended them in silence as Harry and Albus chatted out of earshot. After Madam Malkin was done, Daisy pulled her robes off of her and fixed her curls back into their loose ponytail.

Harry picked up two packs of nametags and put the robes on the counter by the register. Madam Malkin multiplied the robes three for Albus and three for Daisy with a tap of her wand on each. After ringing up the items, Harry handed Madam Malkin some gold, silver, and bronze coins.

"Won't you need some hats, my boy?" Madam Malkin asked Harry as if he was a child. He smiled.

"You don't forget a thing, do you?" Madam Malkin tapped her wand on the counter and two pointed wizard hats appeared on top of the previously cloned robes. "Thank you, my wife would have made me sleep on the couch for weeks." He smiled at his boys jokingly and they both chuckled.

"I'll see you soon, Mr. Potter," Madam Malkin called as they walked out of the door.

"And I, you, Madam!" Harry laughed as they joined the buzzing street once more, Harry holding a bag containing both Albus and Daisy's uniforms.

"Dad? You didn't get gloves or winter cloaks."

"I know, don't tell Madam but I prefer the suede cloaks from Twillfit and Tattings. James knows, don't you?" James laughed as his father bumped him playfully and Daisy had a feeling they were sharing an inside joke. Albus and Daisy followed behind the older boys and soon they approached an upper-class version of Madam Malkin's. It was designed the same way, with the windows out front, but the building was almost twice the height and much brighter.

"Dad, look! Can we go to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes?" James begged pointing, and bouncing slightly, to a brightly colored building that passersby even stopped to stare for a bit.

"We can go see them in a bit, we have to get shopping done."

They walked into Twillfit and Tattings, which on the inside was darker than what the outside had seemed. Quickly, Harry escorted their small group to a corner where gloves were on display. Daisy and Albus picked up a pair each and looked at Harry expectantly. He nodded and led them to a different corner of the store where cloaks with silver fastenings were hanging on a rack. Daisy and Albus found ones that weren't too long, or too short, and put them over their arms. Harry smiled and bought them at the register. They, once again, left the store.

"Dad! WWW! Please!"

"No, James, now give it up before I make you go sit in the Leaky Cauldron and wait for us." Daisy could tell Harry was losing his patience with James' hyperactivity and figured this was the first time he had been on a shopping trip alone with his children.

Throughout the day, Daisy, Harry, Albus, and James visited an abundance of shops, such as Flourish and Botts, Potage's Cauldron Shop, Amanuensis Quills and Scribbulus Writing Instruments, and Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment.

"Just a couple more stops, wands and pets. Where do you want to go first?"

Daisy and Albus looked at each other excitedly and then back to Harry, "PETS!"

Harry laughed and led the group to Magical Menagerie. When they walked inside, Daisy noticed immediately the building was stuffy, the air was thick. Every inch of the walls were covered with cages of different magical creatures. Among these magical creatures were a jewel-encrusted tortoise, owls, cats of every color, and a rabbit.

"What are those things?" Daisy pointed to little pink and purple balls of fur that were sitting in a cage.

"Baby Pygmy Puffs," James replied over his shoulder. "Mum's got one at home, his name is Arnold."

Daisy bent over to look at the baby Pygmy Puffs when something in the corner caught her eye. It was a creamy white cat with dark brown ears, paws, tail and muzzle. She walked to its cage, ignoring the Pygmy Puffs and looked at the cat curled up in her cage. "Like her?" said a voice from behind Daisy. When Daisy turned she saw an elderly woman who looked to be about one hundred! Her gray hair was pulled into a tight bun behind her head and her pale skin reflected the sun that came through the musty windows. "She's yours for 10 galleons."

"Er–Galleons, those are gold, right?"

"I've got it taken care of Daisy," said Harry as he put an arm around her shoulder protectively and pulled out his money bag.

"But–I've got my own, Harry."

"Consider all of it a late birthday present, right?"

"Alright," Daisy sighed as she watched Harry give the old woman her gold. Daisy grabbed up the carrier and said hi to her new cat. Albus had found a tawny owl that he liked and Harry had already paid for that.

"Now to Ollivanders."

Albus and Daisy followed close behind Harry and James with their new pets and supplies. Ready for the day of shopping to be over, for their arms were getting tired with the amount of books and other supplies they were carrying.

"James?" Albus whispered so that Harry couldn't hear.

"Yeah?"

"How do you know when you have the right wand?"

"You just do, you'll see." James smiled at the younger students and held the door to the wand shop open for them.

"Harry Potter! How nice to see you back so soon!" An older man said from behind the counter. "I see you've come here last instead of first this time, smart choice, smart choice."

"Yes, well, Mr. Ollivander, this is my son, Albus, you met him a couple years ago when James was here to find a wand. And this is my cousin's daughter, Daisy. They both need wands today."

"Alright, ladies first, yes?"

Daisy smiled, set her supplies down on a table and put the carrier holding her new cat next to it. She stepped up next to Mr. Ollivander and for the second time that day, she was measured.

"Hmm, curious. Very curious. Four feet, eleven inches." Mr. Ollivander looked around his shop as if he just noticing it's there. "I think I have just the thing." The old man scurried out of view of the four of them and came back within seconds holding a long box. "This is a wand of Holly and Unicorn hair, nine inches long. Try it." Daisy took the wand in her hand and waved it like she'd seen in Cinderella. Nothing happened. Mr. Ollivander took the wand away from her and hurried out of sight once more. He returned with a long box. "I don't know what I was thinking, giving you such a small wand like that. Here, try this. It's of Oak with a core of dragon heartsting. This one is eleven inches and two-thirds." Mr. Ollivander was sure to step out of the way before handing Daisy the wand, confident of his decision. Daisy took hold of the wand and immediately red, green, and blue lights shot out of it. Daisy flinched in surprise and Harry smiled.

"Congratulations, dear, you've found your first wand. What do I owe you, Mr. Ollivander?"

"No charge, not any for your boy's either."

Harry looked surprised, but didn't argue the point, hoping to stick to his wife's budget. As Mr. Ollivander put Daisy's wand back in the box, Albus stepped up next. Daisy took her wand headed back to her supplies pile. Harry smiled at her and with a flick of his wand, her pile disappeared after she set her wand down.

"It'll wait for us in the car, no worries. Amadeus will be there when we get back and she'll be fine." Daisy nodded. They both watched silently as Albus tried out dozens of wands, when finally he was paired with an Oak wand, nine inches long, with a core of unicorn hair.

"Dad? Can we go to WWW now?" James asked timidly.

"Do you think I would bring you to Diagon Alley and not take you to see your uncles?" Harry waved his wand and made Albus's supplies disappear too. The boys sprinted out of the shop while Daisy and Harry said goodbye to Mr. Ollivander.


	4. Chapter Three: Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes

Harry led the three children into a brightly colored shop with a neon sign that had bewitched fireworks that flew around the letters of _Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes._ Upon entering, Daisy noticed the shop was crowded, quite crowded. Suddenly, with a blur of fire red, Harry was pulled violently into a hug.

"RON! George!"

"Harry!" the men that looked close to Harry's age, yelled in unison.

"Albus! James!" A girl with flaming red hair came running towards Albus, behind her was a young boy with darker brown hair. They both hugged Albus and then James.

Daisy was feeling left out, so she started to look around. She noticed a collection of pink and purple things and she walked towards it, winding herself through the crowd. She found a cage of Pygmy Puffs like she had seen at Magical Menagerie. She sat on the floor and stuck her finger in the cage. The Pygmy Puffs crowded around her finger and cuddled together. Daisy giggled. She looked around at the other things in the blur of purple and pink. Daisy read a few things, but what caught her eye was "Patent Daydream Charm. She read the label carefully. On the back, it showed a young woman and man standing next to each other looking into each other's eyes. What surprised Daisy more than anything was that in the picture, you could see the subjects calmly breathing. It was _moving!_

Daisy hadn't noticed the continuous calling of her name until someone picked her up and she yelped in fright. "Found her!" said George as he held her over the crowd.

"Put me down!" yelled Daisy wildly. The red head man put her feet on the ground, where she safely walked over to her cousins.

"We've been calling for _hours._ " Albus complained.

"Have not!" Daisy yelled back at him.

"Albus, leave Daisy alone. She's allowed to look around." Harry called. "I just wish she'd answer when she's called."

"I didn't hear you call, that picture was moving!"

"They all do," said James boringly.

"What do you mean 'they all do'?" snapped Daisy, not all pictures moved. None of her pictures ever moved!

Harry and the two red haired men laughed at her. "The wizarding ones do, darling," Harry said quietly. "Ron, George, this is Daisy. Daisy Dursley."

Ron and George jumped back slightly, sticking their hands in their pockets suddenly.

" _What_ exactly do you think you're doing?" Harry snapped, getting between men and Daisy.

"She's eleven, for Merlin's sake. What are you doing?"

"You can't trust the Dursleys, Harry. I know you think your cousin is good now because he has a daughter that's a witch, but who knows what he's teaching her? You gave them all those books about curses and even the Unforgivables, Harry. What if he's training her to become a killing machine?"

"You mean like Dumbledore was against the Ministry?" Daisy felt suddenly uncomfortable, what do they mean they can't trust her or her family?

"Dumbledore _was_ raising an army, Harry! It just wasn't the one they thought it was."

"Not against the Ministry, Ron. I'm quite disappointed. Seeing you, an Auror, pulling your wand on an eleven-year-old," said Harry coldly.

George had straightened and taken his hand out of his pocket. "Rosie, why don't you take Daisy, Albus, James, and Hugo to the flat upstairs? I'm sure they'd love to see all your new things." Rosie took the hands of Albus and Hugo and started toward the back of the shop. Daisy looked back at her cousin and decided she didn't want to go to the flat, she wanted to see why this man didn't like her. "Go on, Daisy. Everything will be quite alright in a bit."

The man called Ron had straightened now, but still had his hand in his pocket. "Alright, Harry. Tell me why these people are trustworthy."

Harry responded, but Daisy couldn't hear him, as she was following James up a spiral staircase that led into a giant flat. Straight ahead, there was a window that looked out on Diagon Alley. Daisy could see the neon sign in front of the window and smiled at the dragon-shaped fireworks. One came to the window and looked at her, smiled, then went back to doing roundabouts around the _a_ in _Weasleys'._ Daisy smiled and looked around. Rosie was showing James and Albus a Pygmy Puff in a carrier.

"…is Kila and she _loves_ to cuddle. Dad doesn't like her much, he doesn't really like us living here during the holidays, but since Aunt Angelina, Fred, and Roxanne go to Grandma's house during the summer holiday, we stay here and Mum gets to spend some time by herself."

"Rose, what's _that?"_

"Reusable Hangman– _'Spell It or He'll Swing.'_ You've seen it in the shop, it's just the new version. The _Reusable Electric Chair–'Spell it or He'll Fry!'_ Dad's pretty excited about it being released, not as excited as Uncle George. You should have seen him, he stayed up all night playing it with Dad to make sure it worked right. You get six tries before the man is finally killed, then you reset it, but you have to have a wand to do it."

"You haven't a wand?"

"Not yet, Dad hasn't had time to take me. The shop is always so crowded, he hasn't a day off all holiday like he did last year." James and Albus looked at their feet.

"Daisy, I'm Rose. And this is my brother, Hugo. Please pardon me not introducing ourselves earlier. We haven't seen Al and James in a month."

Daisy giggled and shook Rose's hand. "Hi. Are you a witch too?" _Of course she is,_ Daisy thought.

"Yes," Rose giggled. "Al and James said you were Muggleborn?"

Daisy nodded and Rose smiled kindly. They both had the feeling this would be the beginning of a very long friendship.

Daisy, Harry, and the boys stayed for dinner at the Weasleys' that night. Ron had apparently forgiven Daisy for whatever her family did, because he spoke to her and asked her questions all through the meal.

"Oh? You're just a month younger than Albus, hmm?"

"Yes, I was born on March 23 of 2006. Albus was born in February."

"I know when Al was born, I was there. He's my nephew, you know?"

"You're Ginny's brother, _Ron?_ I never would have guessed!"

Ron laughed a bit and nodded. George chuckled, too. "The hair didn't set you off?" George asked still laughing a bit.

"I didn't really notice it."

"No, I suppose an eleven-year-old wouldn't, hmm?"

"I suppose not," Daisy smiled back at George.

"Bloody hell, Harry, look at those eyes. Just as bright as yours!"

Daisy thought for sure they weren't talking about hers, what an odd thing to say. But when Harry agreed and smiled kindly at Daisy, she knew that they were. "Those Evans genes," Harry said jokingly.

"I have my mother's eyes," said Daisy, looking at her empty plate.

"I have my mother's eyes, too, Daisy." Harry put a comforting hand on her shoulder and shook his head slightly at Ron.

The rest of dinner was spent asking Albus, Daisy, and Rose what they were most excited for at school and what they were dreading among other questions about Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry ("You can just call it Hogwarts, ya know?" said Ron). Daisy knew how to answer most of the questions. She wanted to be in Gryffindor because that's the house Harry was in. She was worried about Flying. But she didn't know which Professor she would like or if she was worried about winning the House Cup. Hogwarts, A History didn't say much about those things, so she didn't know. Albus was worried about meeting a man called Neville Longbottom at school. To which Harry said, "You know Neville, why are you worried about him?"

"What if forget to call him Professor and he takes house points away?"

"Neville isn't like that," laughed James, "Besides, you don't forget that you're at school very easily."

Albus and James laughed together and the whole table was quite amused. After about another hour of laughing and talking, Harry stood. "We should get Daisy home, Dudley is probably going bonkers waiting up for us. It's nearly nine o'clock." Albus, James, and Daisy stood, also.

There was a chorus of goodbyes and then Harry led the children downstairs and out of the shop. There were much fewer people on the streets than before. They easily maneuvered through the crowd and ended up out front of the Leaky Cauldron. Harry summoned their car and they drove to Daisy's home.

Harry was quite right when he said Dudley was going bonkers waiting up for them. He immediately opened the door and scurried out when he heard the car outside. He pulled Daisy into a tight hug and helped her bring her things inside. Harry, Albus, and James didn't stay long for they were going to get home late, too. But Harry stayed long enough to tell the story of the day and tell Dudley that Daisy did have dinner. Daisy had to remind her dad three times that she had a great time and even made a new friend in Diagon Alley before she was finally allowed to go to bed without further interrogation.

As Daisy lay staring at her ceiling that night, she smiled and wished for September first to come as soon as possible.


	5. Chapter Four: Hogwarts Express

Daisy almost regretted saying she wanted September 1 to come sooner, because as she and her dad loaded the car with her school trunk and Amadeus, Daisy felt very sick to her stomach. She couldn't tell if it was nerves or the Chinese takeout she had the night before. Either way, she should not have eaten the takeout. Daisy didn't like the feeling she had, but nevertheless she climbed into the backseat of her father's car and waited for him to lock up the house and get ready to go.

As Dudley ducked into the driver's seat, his stomach felt the same way Daisy's did. He wasn't ready for his little girl to go off to boarding school. He wasn't ready for her to be a witch. He wasn't ready at all, and he couldn't shake the feeling he had the same day he sent her off to kindergarten. If Sarah was there, she'd have known what to do. She'd have known how to handle this, she'd have _wanted_ to go school supplies shopping with their daughter.

Dudley couldn't help but think about Sarah and felt a lump rise in his throat. His eyes got misty and he looked at his daughter in the rearview mirror. She was petting her new cat calmingly and smiled at her worried father when he caught her eye. Dudley gained his composure and headed out to King's Cross.

Harry was worried that Dudley had packed his things and took Daisy. They hadn't shown up yet and the train was almost ready to leave. He had said his goodbyes to Albus and James, made sure Rose and Albus found a compartment and came out of the barrier still waiting for Daisy. _They'll find you…_ Harry thought. _Don't do this, BigD. Not to Daisy._ Harry bounced gently on the balls of his feet.

"Darling, maybe we should go."

"No, Ginny, they'll show up. I know they will. Dudley knows."

And as if on cue, a broad shouldered man holding a trunk and some kind of carrier with a small girl on his back came jogging towards Harry. "Sorry we're late. Daddy didn't want to let go of his little girl just yet." Dudley smiled grievingly at Harry and Harry nodded.

Daisy climbed off Dudley's back and grabbed her trunk and Amadeus's cage. She turned to her father, misty-eyed. "I'll see you later, Daddy. I love you."

"Daisy Juliet Dursley, come back here and give your father a hug." Daisy turned back to her dad and ran to him. He pulled her in tight to a hug and kissed her softly on her cheek. "I love you, dear. You behave yourself and if I get one letter home from the school…"

"I know, Dad." Daisy waved her hand dismissively and smiled. "I love you, too, Daddy. I'll miss you and I'll write every day!" She looked at Harry and Ginny. "Help him with the owl post, yeah?"

Dudley wiped a tear from his eye and pulled his little girl into another hug as Harry tapped his foot and checked his watch. "BigD, I am _so so_ sorry. We have to go, now. Or she'll miss the train and for a first year, it won't end well." Dudley nodded and kissed his little girl goodbye and watched as Harry helped her put her trunk and Amadeus's cage on a cart. They ran through a metal barrier and Ginny and he were left alone.

After getting through the barrier, Daisy looked around. The platform was almost empty. A whistle blew and Harry pushed her towards a door in the train.

"I'll see you at Christmas, alright?"

Daisy nodded and boarded the train immediately. She looked around for Rose and Albus as she pulled her trunk behind her. All the compartments were basically full, and full of people she didn't know. She peeked into a compartment where she recognized a tall brunette with bright brown eyes. She knocked gently on the glass of the door. Her cousin turned at the sound, revealing a dark-skinned boy with green eyes sitting beside him. James hurriedly opened the compartment door to Daisy who pulled in her trunk.

"Hey Daisy, you doing okay? You were missing when I boarded."

"Dad took me to get ice cream, trying to spend as much time together as possible."

James nodded comically and grinned. "This is Fred," he said, motioning to the other boy in the compartment who smiled and gave a small wave to Daisy. She returned a wave and tried to hoist her heavy trunk onto the luggage rack. "Let me help." James picked up Daisy's trunk and with little effort put it on the luggage rack above them. James and Daisy sat across from Fred in the compartment.

Daisy fed Amadeus small treats for most of the ride. James and Fred chatted. Then Fred turned to her.

"First year?"

"Er–yeah."

"You'll be alright, I hope you're sorted into Gryffindor with James and me. We could corrupt you quickly."

Daisy's brow furrowed. "There will be no corruption here!" said James, kicking Fred jokingly in the shin. "We should get our robes on."

The three of them put their robes on and Daisy looked down at her black tie. "You'll probably get Gryffindor," said James. "Don't worry about it!" He clapped her on the back and smiled. Daisy really wanted to read, but refused to look like a bookworm in front of James and Fred.

"So, Fred... What's your family like?" James and Fred laughed together.

"A lot like James's. He's my cousin."

Daisy blushed bright red and said, "Mine too."

"Really?" Fred's eyes widened a bit.

"She's Dad's cousin's daughter." James laughed a bit. "We're barely related, but we spend a lot of time at her house because we live in a Muggle neighborhood near her." Daisy looked at James skeptically.

"We _are_ related, just because wizards don't like my family doesn't mean we're not related."

"Muggleborn, huh?"

"Yes, thank you very much," said Daisy turning on Fred.

"It's not wizards that don't like your family, it's just Uncle Ron."

"And why doesn't _Uncle Ron_ like my family?"

"Because they mistreated and abused Dad when he was younger, of course!"

"Did not!"

James paused, staring at Daisy incredulously. "They–didn't tell you?"

"Didn't tell me what?!" shrieked Daisy, growing angrier by the moment.

"About my Dad! He lived with your Dad for _years_. They made him live _under the stairs_!"

"You're lying!"

"I'm not, Daisy! I promise."

"You just think because Aunt Marge is bad, that everyone is."

"I don't know who Aunt Marge _is_!" said James, Fred had suddenly stood up and looked out the window.

"There it is."

"What is?"

"The school, Daisy."

Daisy nodded and sighed. _We aren't like Aunt Marge. Grandma and Grandpa love Harry, Dad loves Harry. We all love Harry. It's just Aunt Marge._ Daisy sat down in her seat and put Amadeus back in her carrier.

"Daisy? You'll be okay. I promise. No matter what." James had taken a seat beside Daisy and had his arm around her comfortingly. Daisy wanted to push him off, but she was very scared of going to Hogwarts. What if she wasn't sorted into Gryffindor? What if she was a _Slytherin?_ Slytherins were mostly Dark Wizards, weren't they? Was Daisy a Dark Wizard? Daisy found herself leaning into James comfortably and nuzzling her head into his neck. He held her like her dad would if she was feeling like this.

Daisy just hoped he would be able to do this throughout the year.


	6. Chapter Five: The Sorting Hat

When the Hogwarts Express stopped, James and Fred helped Daisy pull her trunk and Amadeus off the train.

"Firs'-years! Firs'-years over here!" a rather large man was shouting from the edge of a shady path.

"That's Hagrid," Fred whispered in Daisy's ear. "You'll like him, get a move on now." Fred pushed Daisy gently and she waved goodbye to James who waved back. She spotted Rose's fiery hair and pushed past the groups of people. Daisy caught up with Rose and saw Albus standing beside her, his hair flopping all different directions.

"We missed you on the train," said Rose while the three of them made their way towards Hagrid.

"I was late, didn't get there until a bit before it left."

Rose nodded, "You should have found our compartment."

"I sat with James instead."

"You sat with _James?_ " Albus had spun to look at her.

"And Fred, yes."

" _Fred_? As in Fred _Weasley?_ "

Daisy's ears turned a slight shade of pink, she didn't expect her friends to react like this. "Er–Yeah."

"That's our cousin, you know?"

"I know. They told me. I don't see the big deal, I didn't have anyone else to sit with and I was already late."

Rose and Albus rounded on her and together they said, "You had us!" Daisy recoiled.

"I'll sit with you next time, I don't see the big deal at all, really."

Albus and Rose turned and continued their walking forward. _Maybe I should have looked harder before sitting with James and Fred,_ thought Daisy.

Rose and Albus still hadn't spoken to her when they arrived at a fleet of small boats that were to sail them across the Black Lake. The three of them climbed into a boat with two other students, a boy with hair blonder than Daisy's and a girl with brown, curly hair. Rose turned to the boy cautiously.

"Hi Scorpius."

"Hey Rose," the boy called Scorpius replied. He turned back to the dark-haired girl and continued his conversation.

"Daisy."

"Yes, Albus?"

"Do _you_ think I'll get sorted into Slytherin?"

"No way, why?"

"Because I asked Dad and James about it, James just laughed and made fun of me. Dad said that the guy I'm named after, Severus, was a Slytherin and he was the bravest man he ever knew." Albus paused, nervously wringing his hands in his lap. "I want to be in Gryffindor."

Rose patted Albus's knee smartly. "You will be, with the rest of us. Daisy, Louis, me… That's not including the older Weasleys and Potters."

The boats sailed easily across the lake and they got to shore, Hagrid helped each first year out of their boats. In Daisy's boat, Hagrid helped Rose out, then the brunette girl, then Scorpius, then Albus, then Daisy. They were the last boat, and all their trunks were summoned to their dormitories by some magic Daisy hadn't figured out yet.

Hagrid left the group of fifty or so first years to the castle. At the entrance, a very short man who introduced himself as Deputy Headmaster Flitwick escorted the group of children to a room, they filed in and waited. Flitwick shouted instructions out. They were to get in line in alphabetical order. Flitwick called out the names and Daisy was in between a tall boy by the name of Greg Doston and another blonde girl with hair to her waist, Kimbra Forbes. They all chatted excitedly as they heard the Headmistress tell the older children a welcome back.

"As always," Daisy heard. "We will do the Sorting then I will speak."

Flitwick yelled over his shoulder to follow him and the line of first years filed into the Great Hall. They lined up in front of the staff table. Minerva McGonagall found her seat and Daisy searched the crowd for familiar faces, she found James and Fred at a table, all who had matching red and gold ties. They waved to her, but she was too nervous to wave back.

Flitwick placed a tall stool in the center of the staff table and put a worn hat on top of it. Before the Sorting began, to Daisy's surprise, the Hat started to sing at the top of its voice.

 _I practiced every day,_

 _To find some clever lines to say,_

 _To make the meaning come through..._

 _Godric Gryffindor!_

 _He favored courage and bravery._

 _These were two of the best abilities!_

 _So now you see, come and sit at the table with he._

 _Rowena Ravenclaw!_

 _Intelligence was the greatest asset to she!_

 _To be in her house, you must show the upmost smarts_

 _She wanted you to have the greatest starts!_

 _Salazar Slytherin!_

 _Sly and cunning, that's all he needs._

 _Most likely only pure-blood breeds_

 _He said don't worry about the good deeds!_

 _Helga Hufflepuff!_

 _She took the rest._

 _No matter the best._

 _You mustn't be stressed._

 _For her house is just as well as all three._

 _Those are the founders who put me here,_

 _To sort you into Quarters and to disappear_

 _Writing my song for next year!_

When the hat was done, the room rang with applause and the Sorting had begun. Professor Flitwick called out the very first name of the Sorting. "Abrams, Leanna!" It was the girl that was talking to Scorpius on the boat.

The Sorting Hat was placed upon her head, and it slipped over her ears, covering most of her face. The Hat seemed to ponder for a moment and Daisy could see Leanna's mouth moving, no words emerging from her lips. "HUFFLEPUFF!"

A table to the right of the center of the room cheered loudly and Leanna's tie turned yellow and black almost immediately. The Hat was removed from her head and she skipped to the table happily.

A few more names were called and then "Doston, Greg!" Daisy felt her stomach jump. She looked up at the ceiling, which was enchanted to look like the sky outside. She bounced very slightly on the balls of her feet when she heard a shriek of delight at the same time as "SLYTHERIN!"

"Dursley, Daisy!" Daisy made her way up to the stool cautiously, locking eyes with Fred. He gave her a small knowing smile and nodded. She sat on the stool with the upmost desire to have all of these pairs of eyes off of her.

 _Very, very smart, I see…_ Daisy could hear the Hat's voice in her head. _Yes, dear, that's how I can sort you, I read minds._

Daisy closed her eyes and thought about honoring her family as best she could. _I think Ravenclaw would suit you best._ Gryffindor, Daisy pleaded. "RAVENCLAW!" A table next to the Gryffindor table started cheering and Daisy looked back at Fred who sat, open-mouthed and wide-eyed. 'Help me,' she mouthed. Professor Flitwick, who was Head of the Ravenclaw house also applauded a bit and Daisy noticed her tie had changed to Blue and Bronze. She walked slowly to her house table and sat, staring blank-minded at the rest of the ceremony.

Albus was sorted into Gryffindor after what looked like a furious debate between the hat and Al. Both the Weasleys, Rose and Louis, were sorted into Gryffindor almost as soon as the Hat touched their heads.

Rose Weasley was the last to be sorted and as the Gryffindor table died down, Headmistress McGonagall stood, making her way to the front of the staff table. "We have a couple new teachers to introduce!" McGonagall said with kindness. She motioned to the staff table.

"Please welcome Professor Dean Thomas, our new Muggle Studies professor." A tall, dark-skinned man stood and waved at the students, a kind smile never leaving his face. "Please welcome Professor Zacharias Smith, the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor!" A blonde man stood up, nodded curtly to his audience, and sat back down with a quickness that intimidated Daisy. Daisy scanned the rest of the staff table quickly. She recognized Hagrid, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Flitwick. She noticed a brunette man that looked oddly like her dad, but much thinner. She nudged the girl sitting next to her.

"Who's that bloke on the end?"

"That's Professor Longbottom, he teaches Herbology. You'll really like him." Daisy smiled kindly and nodded.

The whispering had silenced as McGonagall was still standing at the front of the room. "We have some new Heads this year, so if you will all so kindly stand," said McGonagall turning to the staff table. Professor Longbottom stood, a round man with a walrus-like mustache stood, Professor Flitwick, and a blonde man with hair longer than necessary both stood.

"Professor Longbottom is again. The Head of the Gryffindor House." The Gryffindor table erupted in cheers. "Professor Slughorn," McGonagall motioned to the round walrus man, "Is Head of Slytherin House as always." The Slytherin table applauded the Professor respectfully until he sat down. "Professor Flitwick, Head of Ravenclaw!" The girls around Daisy stood and bowed while the boys hooted and hollered for the short wizard. "This year, after Professor Sprout's retirement, Professor Macmillan will be Head of the Hufflepuff House!" The Hufflepuff table erupted in screams and yells and applause, making everyone deaf for near a minute and a half.

"Let us eat!" shouted McGonagall and food had appeared magically on all four tables in the Great Hall. Fred again caught Daisy's eye and sent a flying paper aeroplane towards her. She caught it and read Fred's message in a hurry. She scribbled a response and realized she didn't know how to get it back to him. Luckily she saw Fred pull out his wand and whisper, "Accio Aeroplane!" She smiled at him and piled food onto her plate.

After the feast, they were all excused on the pretense that they were going to bed. She met Fred in an empty classroom. She had only met him a few hours before but she felt safe around him. Fred looked at her sadly and she hugged him immediately. She couldn't hold her tears any longer.

"Harry will hate me," Daisy sobbed.

"Hey, now. I know Uncle Harry and he doesn't hate anyone. I promise. He definitely won't hate you for Ravenclaw! That's the smartest house, you know?" Daisy nodded slightly and pulled away from Fred's chest, looking into his eyes. "Hey, now. Wipe your eyes alright, Zee? You gotta just take a breath."

Daisy wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and laughed with a sob. "Zee?"

"As in Day-Zee? Get it? Can I call you that?"

"I suppose so." Daisy laughed and Fred pulled her in for one more hug.

"Let's get you to your common room, yeah?" Daisy nodded and followed him to the Ravenclaw tower and as he left, she knocked on the door.

"I start at the beginning and I finish at the end. I fly through the middle and I return again. What am I?"

Daisy thought it over for a moment. "Time." _Time always starts something, and time has a way of ending something._ The door swung open and Daisy passed through the common room, making a beeline for her dormitory. She wished to do nothing but sleep for days, maybe weeks. She made her way to the dormitory where her trunk and cat had been summoned earlier. She released Amadeus from her carrier and as Daisy pulled her pajamas on, Amadeus leapt into Daisy's bed, as anxious to get to bed as she was. Daisy pulled the sky blue silk curtains closed around her four-poster bed and almost as soon as her head hit the pillow, she had fallen asleep. It had been a long day.


	7. Chapter Six: This Is Just The Beginning

Daisy woke early the next morning and made her way to the Great Hall after getting dressed. She had left Amadeus curled up on a chair in the common room. When Daisy arrived in the Great Hall for breakfast, she was not the only one there this early. Fred was sitting at the Gryffindor table. Daisy tripped when she saw him and beamed at her.

"Come on over here, Zee. You can sit with us if you're more comfortable." Daisy nodded hastily and scurried over to him, sitting close to him. "Have you gotten your timetable yet?"

"Not until after breakfast, all first years get them. I'll have to sit at the Ravenclaw table for that." Fred put a reassuring arm around his new found friend.

"I forgot about that," Fred said quietly. He squeezed Daisy to his side and resisted the urge to kiss her forehead like he would to his sister.

As students started filing in to the Great hall, Daisy moved to the Ravenclaw table and sat down. A short few minutes later, breakfast appeared in front of her. She ate slowly. She was terrified of having to go to classes without Fred there. He was the only person that tried to comfort her since she had gotten there. She could only hope that when Professor Flitwick handed out timetables that she had classes with Gryffindor students.

Professor Flitwick had finally reached Daisy after handing timetables to most of the other first years.

"Daisy Dursley?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Alright, here's your timetable. If you need any help finding your classrooms, your prefects are Jaxon Gallagher and Nicole Lovett." He then tapped a piece of parchment with his wand and handed it to Daisy. Daisy read over her timetable. Not until then did she noticed a dark-skinned boy sitting down beside her.

"Fred, don't you have class?"

"I don't have anything until Care of Magical Creatures," Fred gestured to the giant bloke with a thick, greying beard. "That's second period." Daisy nodded and Fred looked over her shoulder to read her timetable. "Herbology, first. I can show you to the greenhouses. I'll meet you after first period to show you to…" Fred again glanced at Daisy's timetable. "Defence Against the Dark Arts. That's in classroom 3C, right?" Fred read over the parchment once more and nodded to himself. "Well, shall we?" Fred offered his arm to Daisy, and she looped her arm through his.

"Thank you," Daisy grinned as they crossed the grounds. Daisy stopped outside the greenhouse, thanked Fred, and turned to go inside. She turned back to watch Fred walk away. Greenhouse One was filled with several people that were Daisy's age. Some of them had robes on like her own, and she recognized them from the common room. Others had robes with green and silver badges and ties.

A young professor, whom Daisy recognized as Professor Longbottom entered the greenhouse and everyone rushed to take a seat within the room. Daisy sat in a corner, the closest person sitting three seats away. She had almost come to enjoy this new isolation. Professor Longbottom scanned the room with a smile on his face.

"Take out your books, if I recall correctly, you should have _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_ at your disposal." Daisy smiled to herself and pulled her Herbology textbook from her school bag. Harry and James had said Professor Longbottom was a nice man, so she wasn't too concerned about Herbology. Especially since she had already read _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_ front to back, twice. Professor Longbottom held up a black-stemmed flower with white petals. "Turn to page one hundred sixteen. Who can identify this flower for me?"

Without opening her book, Daisy's hand shot in the air. Professor Longbottom, unable to mask the surprise on his face, turned to her. "Yes?"

"That's a Moly, sir."

"Correct. Your name?"

"Daisy Dursley, sir."

"Yes, Daisy, and do you know what Moly is used for?"

"Yes, sir. It's a very common potion ingredient, or it can be eaten to counteract Dark Enchantments."

"Very good, ten points to Ravenclaw."

Daisy's face turned a light shade of pink and she started reading her book, furiously to avoid the stares of the others in her class.

By the time Herbology was over, Daisy could see Fred peeking in the greenhouse door, waiting for her. Unfortunately enough, Professor Longbottom saw him too. He opened the door to find Fred leaning against the door, causing him to fall and hit his head.

"Mr. Weasley? Lovely for you to drop in. Can I help you?" Professor Longbottom asked as the laughter around the room fell silent.

"Oh! Er–Hi Professor Longbottom. I was just waiting on my friend. She doesn't know how to get to classroom 3C for D.A.D.A."

"Oh? And which friend is this?"

"Oh, er. Right over there." Fred's finger led Professor Longbottom's eyes to Daisy, who again turned a light shade of pink and made to put her book in her bag, knowing they both would probably get detention for the disruption.

"Very well, Mr. Weasley. I ask you to not show up disrupting my class again. No detention, but I'm going to write your father."

"Professor–please." Daisy thought she heard Fred's voice crack as she made her way to the pair, but decided she imagined it.

"No need to worry, Fred. I will make sure to include the situation. I'm sure your dad won't be too hard on you for helping your friend. Such a smart friend you have here too." Daisy, whose face had not yet cooled, felt her ears begin to grow warm.

Fred nodded and hung his head. The bell rang from the castle, so Fred, again offered Daisy his arm and escorted her to classroom 3C. "After this class, there will be lunch in the Great Hall. If you make it there a bit early, I'll save you a seat beside James and me. Then you have..."

"History of Magic."

"Right, you can make it to the Great Hall from here, right?" Daisy nodded. Fred let her go and walked the opposite way back towards the grounds as she made her way into classroom 3C. The professor was standing at the front of the classroom as students came filing in. Daisy took a seat in the front, a Hufflepuff girl sat next to her.

"Hello class. I'm Professor Smith." Professor Smith was tall and skinny with blond hair that threatened to fall into his eyes every time he moved his head. He had a somewhat bitter aura to him. Daisy couldn't tell why, but he seemed fairly upset about something. "Get out your textbooks, we will be reading today." Daisy had not read _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection_. She had overheard Harry discussing his work as an Auror and avoided the book like the plague. She feared the nasty things and people Harry talked about constantly. She knew he had always had the lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead, but the one that now went through his eyebrow and over the bridge of his nose, had not been there when she was born. She knew because she had seen a picture of him with Albus at the hospital where his face was completely unscarred, for his hair was covering the identifiable mark above his eye.

Daisy reluctantly set the textbook on the table in front of her and opened to page fifty-seven as instructed. "Curse of the Bogies," said Professor Smith from behind his desk. "Who can tell me what this curse does?" He looked around the room silently for a few moments as students' eyes frantically darted across the page. "Ah, yes. In the back." A small Hufflepuff girl smiled and stated sweetly that the Curse of Bogies gave the target a cold that could make them collapse if not treated, as well as an extremely runny nose. "Twenty points to Hufflepuff." Professor Smith spent the rest of the class describing the Curse of Bogies and the counter-curse. Daisy hadn't been exactly bored with the class, the D.A.D.A just wasn't her cup of tea.

The bell rang and Daisy gathered her things into her school bag. So far, Daisy had no homework; she was proud of the fact, because Professor Longbottom gave her no homework for answering the questions about Moly, while the rest of the class had to write a foot and a half essay due Monday.

Daisy made her way to the great Hall as quickly as she could. She kept her head down and dodged in and out of crowds quickly. She was one of the first people to show up. Fred, James, and the rest of the Weasleys and Potters sat at the Gryffindor table. They all watched Daisy carefully as she walked up to them. Fred made room for her on the bench and she sat beside him.

"I'm sorry," whispered Daisy to the rest of the Potter-Weasley gang.

"Are you kidding me?" shouted Rose. "I _wish_ I was smart enough to get into Ravenclaw. I was only put into Gryffindor because of my family. Otherwise, I would have been thrown into Hufflepuff."

"Really? You all aren't mad at me?"

"For not getting into Gryffindor and getting into the genius house? No!" Albus answered quickly.

"I told you," whispered Fred, whom James watched curiously from the other side of the table. "Ouch! What was that for?" Fred glared across the table at James.

"I don't know what you mean."

Daisy didn't eat much for lunch, but she had enjoyed the meal much more than any of the others she had eaten at the Ravenclaw table. If she could convince Fred to save a seat for her for every meal, she could sit with them every day. "Fred, will you take me to History of Magic? I don't know where it is."

The older boy looked down at Daisy and smiled. "Of course, Zee. Give me a moment. You can wait for me in the Entrance Hall." Students had already started to leave as class would be starting in ten minutes or so. Daisy made her way to the entrance to the Great Hall. She leaned against the door frame and saw Fred and James in the middle of what looked like a heated conversation. The rest of the Potter-Weasley gang turned their heads and stared at Daisy. Rose kept looking back and forth. When Fred finally made his way towards her, his face was bright red, but he forced a smile on his face.

"What happened? What were you and James talking about?"

"Quidditch," Fred replied shortly.

"Oh." Daisy decided not to push anymore and wrapped her arm around Fred's, which was now offered to her again. His face had cooled from what she could see and when they reached Classroom 4F. Daisy turned to Fred and put a hand on top of his. "Thank you," she whispered.

"I told you. Any time."

"No, for letting me sit with you all, for walking me to classes, for helping me. Thank you."

Fred felt his neck flush and smiled. "My pleasure, ma'am." He leaned down close to Daisy's face. "Professor Binns is a ghost. Prepare yourself." With that, he turned and disappeared in the crowd. Daisy took a deep breath before walking into the open classroom. A couple of Gryffindor students had found their way to the classroom before her. She sat in the front, for she had already read _A History of Magic_ a number of times over the last year. When the bell that signaled lunch was officially over, a transparent man that looked very old, came strolling through the wall.

"Hello, I'm Professor Binns," said the man in a monotonous voice. "Welcome to History of Magic. Open your books to page three hundred fifteen. We're going to start with Elfric the Eager." Professor Binns droned on about Elfric the Eager and Uric the Oddball (or was it Uric the Evil?) for the next hour as Daisy dozed in and out of consciousness. She had thought this would be her favorite class, yet she could barely stay awake.

"I expect a twelve-inch essay on Elfric the Eager or Uric the Oddball by Tuesday." The bell rang and Daisy hurriedly got her things together and left the classroom in a jog. Fred had not been waiting for her this time, but she knew her way back to the common room from Classroom 4F. She found her way to the common room, answered the riddle of the day, and sought out a seat next to a window with an excellent view of the lake. Daisy got to work on her essay for History of Magic and surprisingly, got it done before dinner.

About an hour before dinner, a girl in Daisy's year walked into the common room. "Daisy Dursley?" she called.

Daisy looked up from her Herbology textbook, which she was re-reading. "That's me," she replied softly.

"There's a Gryffindor boy, waiting outside for you." Daisy, thinking about Fred, happily put her books aside and rushed out of the door. She was met with a boy, slightly taller than her with discernable black, messy hair.

"James?"

"Expecting someone else?" James replied with a frown.

"No, I just... She said Gryffindor boy, I assumed it would be Fred."

"Yes, you and Fred have been spending a lot of time together, haven't you?" James said, and Daisy thought she sensed a bit of coldness to his voice.

"He's walked me to most of my classes today, if that's what you mean. I couldn't find them, so he helped me."

"Oh." James went quiet for a bit and then turned to Daisy as they walked through the corridor. "Do you like Fred?"

"Well, of course! He's done nothing but help me since I got here."

"Yeah, but─" James was cut off as his little brother appeared beside them.

"Hey guys, are you heading down to dinner?" Albus didn't wait for an answer. "I'll walk with you." Daisy smiled and walked between her cousins to the Great Hall. She walked with them to the Gryffindor table, where the rest of the Potter-Weasley gang was sitting. Daisy took her seat beside Fred and smiled at him. He nodded towards her, but then initiated a long, intense staring contest between the two. The group of cousins got awkwardly quiet as everyone watched James and Fred. Daisy cocked her head and turned to Rose. Rose just shrugged, but never took her eyes off of her cousins.

After dinner, Fred was the one to accompany Daisy back to the Ravenclaw tower. Daisy said her good nights and walked into the common room, where she gathered her textbooks into her school bag and made her way to the girls' dormitory. She was very aware of her dorm mates already sleeping, so she climbed into bed quietly and continued to read her Herbology textbook until the moonlight no longer shone through the window.

Only then, did she draw the drapes closed around her bed and lay her head on her pillow to welcome sleep.


	8. Chapter Seven: Freddie

Daisy had become very close to the Weasley-Potter gang, though her housemates were becoming very conscious of it. Just a few weeks after school started, she was being shunned by all of her dorm mates and most of her house. Though, Daisy's cousins and friends were starting to notice that she had only one friend in Ravenclaw, they didn't point it out. Fred was the one who was really concerned. He didn't want her to be considered a House traitor.

Fred was concerned about Daisy, nothing seemed to be bothering her, though he and his family had noticed the difference of her friends and her housemates. She was quickly disassociating herself. Fred told all of his relatives to not mention a thing. He could see the disgust in the Ravenclaws' faces as they passed them in the corridor. Fred accompanied Daisy to most of her classes, and people were starting to notice this.

Fred had taken Daisy under his wing on the Hogwarts Express as soon as she walked into their compartment. James wasn't too fond of the idea. He didn't like Fred getting so close with a girl, especially one that he cared so much for. They argued about it a lot, recently, but they didn't let anything get in the way of their friendship.

"Fred?" Daisy was looking up at him, he had been standing outside of the greenhouse waiting for her. He had gotten so lost in his thoughts he didn't hear the bell ring. "Can we go now? I don't want to be late for Defence."

"Of course not, shall we?" Fred offered his arm to the small girl and smiled enthusiastically. Daisy linked their arms, with some difficulty because of the difference in their height and smiled back.

Daisy's school bag rested in between the two and Fred was sure he was squishing it uncomfortably against Daisy's hip. She didn't make a single complaint. When they got to Classroom 3C, Fred kissed Daisy's forehead and left her to go to class.

"I'll see you, Zee."

"Yeah, see you, _Freddie._ " Fred had to refrain from laughing out loud at his nickname. Daisy had been trying to come up with one since he started calling her Zee.

His cousin and he had never planned on going to their second period class, _Care of Magical Creatures_. They both knew that Hagrid would write to their fathers immediately, so instead, they both showed up, ate some Puking Pastilles and left in a rush. Fred felt a pang of guilt as he saw the concern on Hagrid's face. They made their way to the castle and immediately swallowed down a purple candy each.

"James, what is this genius plan of yours anyway? I think my idea of making a shrine to our uncle outside of their common room was the best of the century."

"Too obvious," mumbled James, who was two steps ahead of Fred. "They'd know it was us." James eyes darted all over the Marauder's Map.

"Who're you looking for?"

"Al."

"Albus? Why?"

"Because I need to speak to him."

"We skipped Care of Magical Creatures because you need to speak to your brother. You know he hasn't got any free periods. I only have one this year and that's because I dropped Divination last minute. I don't think I could stand the sight of girls swooning over that Firenze bloke."

Fred couldn't see James's face, but he was almost sure that he had rolled his eyes. "Okay, Fred. Look, there's your girlfriend now."

"Girlfriend? I haven't got a girlfri─" Fred stopped abruptly. Daisy was standing in the middle of the corridor, looking pale as ever, holding a Snowy owl that could only be from the Potters. "Daisy?"

James looked up from the Map, noticing the panic in Fred's voice. James's eyes widened at the sight of his family owl. "Jino? What is he doing here?"

"I, er, my dad wrote me," mumbled Daisy, still looking completely out of it. James and Fred jogged to her. James took Jino from the first year and set the owl on his shoulder. Fred took Daisy into his arms and led her to a bench in the corridor. "What are you doing out of class, Zee?" They were nowhere near Classroom 3C and Fred wondered, even if Daisy left, this was not the way to hospital wing. How had she ended up here?

"I got sick. I was going to go to the hospital wing, but I didn't want to explain why I got sick. So I just started walking. Then I got lost."

"You look sick, what's happened?"

Daisy, almost reluctantly, gave Fred the parchment that was covered in scratchy handwriting. Someone who had obviously never used a quill before, Daisy's Muggle father. Fred read over the letter quickly as not to upset Daisy, he tried to keep a straight face. He then gave the letter to James who murmured under his breath as he read it.

 _My Darling Daisy,_

 _Please do not be upset when you read this. Let me explain everything before you jump to conclusions. I went to see Grandma and Grandpa after you left for school. They wondered where you were, but I simply said that you had started school and could not come with me this time. Just last week, though, I went to visit my mum and dad again. They again asked about your absence. This time I decided I would sit down with them and explain what you are. Just like Harry, you're a wizard and you should be very proud of it, like Harry was. Do not hide it (unless you're going to get in trouble). So I told my parents of our situation. They took less than lightly._

 _My parents do not wish to communicate with you or me ever again. But I must repeat myself, Darling Daisy, do not be ashamed of who you are. You are a witch, an excellent one from what I gather. The words Harry uses I do not understand, but the smile on his face as he reads your letters are good enough for me._

 _Grandma and Grandpa will come around eventually, Daisy. They just need time. They know not of what they're losing. They will soon understand you and respect you and magic for what it is. Magic once saved my life. And your grandparents'. They will come around, so don't fear losing anymore family._

 _I know this letter sounds very grown up, but I knew you could handle it, Darling. I love you, Daisy. Please write to me soon. I am lonely in our empty house._

 _Your dad,  
Dudley Dursley_

James lowered the letter from his face, but he couldn't mask the expression of horror. Fred saw him raise the letter back up to him. Rereading it, making sure he read it right. Daisy's grandparents disowned her just because she was a witch? They _disowned_ her. Daisy was now sobbing quietly into Fred's side and he clutched her tightly. At least her dad's got some sense.

"Petunia and Vernon? They never really were fans of magic, Dad says. But we get on well without them. You and your dad will too."

Daisy shook her head. "Daddy adores his parents, he will still visit them every Sunday. During the holiday, he'll probably just leave me at home."

"Daisy, _no._ Dudley wouldn't do that. You know he wouldn't."

Daisy shook her head again. "I _knew_ Grandma and Grandpa Dursley wouldn't disown me too," she moaned. James' hands balled into fists. He threw the piece of parchment on the floor and sat on the other side of Daisy. All of them hugging each other until the bell rang.

"Thanks for walking me home, Freddie." Daisy winked playfully up at the third year. Fred had to suppress a laugh and leaned against the wall, feigning smoothness. Daisy and he fell into a burst of laughter. Fred had walked Daisy back to her common room after dinner. It had been around a month since her grandparents disowned her and she was taking it very lightly. No one else had found out, because James got rid of the letter as soon as the bell rang, whispering some spell that made him smile delightfully when it disappeared.

"Zee, tomorrow is Halloween, I was wondering if you wanted to come to the Gryffindor common room with me? There's going to be a party and you already know how famous Gryffindor parties are." Fred smiled down at the shorter girl.

"Are you asking me on a _date_ , Freddie?" Daisy asked, smiling, but Fred sensed there was a bit of curiosity.

"Of course not!" Fred felt his face flush and smiled. "Just thought you might want to see the Gryffindor common room. The famous Auror, Harry Potter, once did his homework in there, you know?"

Daisy's laughter drowned out the rest of the sounds going on. They just looked at each other for a bit, smiling goofily.

"I'm much too old for you, Daisy." Fred said, finally serious. "Damaged goods."

Daisy blushed, "I'm not interested." Fred smiled and nodded knowingly.

"Ah, no, of course not. Women aren't ever interested in Fred Weasley the Second. James Sirius Potter is much more interesting." Daisy giggled under her breath.

"It's almost curfew, you should head to your dormitory, shouldn't you?" Daisy hugged Fred tightly, taking him by surprise as he returned the hug.

"Thanks for walking me home, Freddie." Daisy winked at him again and turned her attention to the bronze Eagle knocker who asked a riddle that Fred couldn't quite comprehend. Daisy answered it with ease and slid into the common room easily.

 _I'm much too old for you. Damaged goods._ Merlin, why would he say that? Was he trying to flirt with this eleven-year-old Muggleborn? Not that it mattered if she was a Muggleborn, but it did matter that he was thirteen and she was eleven. _And she's off-limits because James said so._ When did he ever start listening to James's advice?

After leaving Fred at the common room entrance, Daisy made her way up the stairs to her dormitory. Her dorm mates avoided her like usual. The Weasley-Potter gang thought she might not have noticed that her housemates were shunning her because she hung out with Gryffindors. It wouldn't have matter if they were Hufflepuffs or Slytherins either. They were shunning her because her friends weren't Ravenclaws. Daisy didn't care. She slipped into bed quietly and her dorm mates busied themselves around the room. She bit her lip and fell into a dream about the dark-skinned boy that she spent so much of her time with.

 _I'm much too old for you. Damaged goods._


	9. Chapter Eight: Halloween

Daisy had made her way down to the Great Hall, unaccompanied on Halloween night. The Great Hall was decorated with orange streamers, sweet-filled pumpkins and cauldrons, pumpkins as wide as she is tall, that Fred had told Hagrid grows with magic; and bats, real or charmed, flew around the ceiling that was a clear sky where you could see the moon rising slowly, as the sun set. Some other Muggleborn children had worn their pointed witches' hat and the way some pure-bloods were looking at them, their humor had gone unnoticed.

Daisy was disappointed to see that Fred was already crowded, but he waved her over anyway.

"Sit!" Fred shouted over the loud conversations going on, Halloween was apparently a big deal at Hogwarts.

"But there's no room!"

"Louis will move. Won't you _Louis_?" Fred's cousin quickly moved about a foot away so Daisy could squeeze between them.

"You're here late."

"I didn't know what to wear."

"To dinner? But we always wear our robes?"

"To our _date_ ," Daisy teased and bumped into Fred's shoulder playfully, but the word rolled of her tongue before she thought it through. The entire Weasley-Potter gang had fallen silent and at the loss of the ten most rambunctious voices the entire Gryffindor table fell silent and soon the Great Hall was much quieter than it had been.

"Your _what_?" James hissed at Fred.

"James, I was just kidding!" Daisy had intervened at the wrong time and with a flick of her wand, Victoire, the oldest of the Potter-Weasley gang, had silenced her.

"James, c'mon now. Let's think this through. Would I ask a first year on a date, really?" James seemed to ponder this for a moment. But so did Daisy. She felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach and was sure her heart had just hit rock bottom.

 _I'm much too old for you. Damaged goods._

Why did Fred's voice keep running through her head? And _how_ did Victoire silence her so easily? She wanted to speak up! She wanted to tell Fred exactly what he could do at the Halloween party, because she would _not_ be attending. But instead of any of this, she got up, grabbed a biscuit and stormed out of the Great Hall. She saw Victoire flick her wand and Daisy let out a grunt as she pushed past the group of Slytherins coming in.

Daisy didn't want to go to the common room, she knew she wouldn't be welcome there. She wondered if Madam Pince would be in the library or if she would be enjoying the Halloween festivities tonight. Daisy decided to check anyway, and thankfully, Madam Pince was sitting in the library as usual. Daisy strolled through the aisles of books, running her fingers over the spines of each worn book after another.

A voice from the next aisle called, "Daisy?" Madam Pince started to shush this voice, but when she saw a single tear run down Daisy's face, she decided not to. Age had brought her compassion and Daisy Dursley was a favorite of hers.

"Fred, not now."

"Come to the party with me, Daisy. You'll have a blast. Victoire got Teddy to send her butterbeers, not that I'll let you drink any, but… It proves how much fun it will be. I think another seventh year got firewhisky, which means you can watch James or one of the older Weasleys stumble around all night."

The dark-skinned, green-eyed wonder turned the corner and Daisy's eyes met his. "I didn't mean to upset you, I just was trying to get James off my back."

"You didn't upset me, I was upset because _Victoire_ used a Silencing Charm on me." Daisy couldn't tear her eyes away from Fred's.

"Oh, so you aren't upset at me?"

"I didn't say that, I think it was perfectly acceptable to say we were joking, not that you would dare _ever_ lay hands on a first year _mudblood._ " The word slipped off Daisy's tongue like venom.

"Daisy! I didn't say that! I would never say that. I just wanted James to leave us alone. I told him I would never date a first year. I never referenced you specifically! And I _never_ called you a… A… That. I would never call you, or anyone else, that!"

"Okay, Fred," Daisy sighed cautiously. Suddenly, she was in Fred's arms as he kissed her forehead. The spot his lips had touched radiated with heat, but Daisy ignored that and leaned into Fred's chest.

"Daisy, I told you I'm no good for you. Don't take anything I say to heart." Daisy nodded into her best friend's chest, although her stomach's sinking feeling had come back. _Stop saying that!_ Daisy's mind screamed, but she rolled her eyes at herself and looked up at Fred.

"Shall we get to our date, then?"

"Well, I don't know only if you don't want to change beforehand."

Daisy rolled her eyes and punched Fred's shoulder jokingly.

After getting in to the Gryffindor common room, someone had handed Daisy a drink in small cup. Daisy took a drink and the drink burned her throat. She figured it was bad pumpkin juice or something and didn't want to hurt the House-Elves' feelings, so she kept drinking it until it was done. She was sat on a sofa with two sixth years, who looked like they might soon lose their faces if they didn't detach. Fred had disappeared into the crowd and she couldn't find any of her other friends.

Her drink was almost gone, and she had a fuzzy feeling when Fred found her. "Hiya," Daisy whispered, scooting further away from the couple that kept edging closer and closer.

Fred looked at them in disgust, before he snapped at them, one of them was Dominique, Victoire's little sister. "First year, take it upstairs," Fred growled at his cousin and Dominique quickly led the boy, who looked quite confused, into the boys' dormitories. Then he looked down at Daisy, noticing her faraway look and drooping eyelids, he looked at her cup and back to her face. "What are you drinking?"

"Bad Pumpkin juice, it burns all the way down, but I didn't wanna hurt anyone's feelings." Fred held the drink up to his own lips and rolled his eyes, looking at the first year worriedly.

"This isn't pumpkin juice, Daisy."

"What do you mean it's not pumpkin juice? Of course, it's pumpkin juice. What else would it be?"

"Who did you take it from?"

"I don't know, after I lost you someone handed it to me."

Fred put his hand on his mouth to hide his smirk as Daisy leaned her head back dreamily. "I _told_ you not to take drinks from people other than me. I _even_ told you not to trust James, do you think taking a drink from someone you couldn't even see was a good idea?"

"Well, what it is that is so bad to drink?" Daisy took another sip from the cup and Fred smacked her hand gently.

"That's firewhisky. It's a strong alcoholic and you just drank a full cup of it. You're _eleven_! How _exactly_ am I supposed to explain this to James? Or _anyone_ if you get caught?"

"Firewhisky? I've read about that… Somewhere."

"We're going to take you to bed."

"Oh, _alright_ ," Daisy pouted.

Fred lifted her off the sofa, holding her hand. He kept hold of that hand until they were safely in the deserted corridors of the Hogwarts castle. They finally reached the Ravenclaw door and Daisy tripped clumsily into it. Fred picked her up and held her weight easily. He lifted the knocker and it sprung to life.

"What am I?" Fred grunted and thought about it. Daisy was hmm'ing loudly from in his arms.

"Oh! A question," Fred yelped as it finally hit him. The door sprung open and Fred carried Daisy in. Her cat, Amadeus, came to rub on his legs and looked up at her owner worriedly. "She'll be alright, bit of a headache tomorrow will be all." Fred smiled to himself and then realized he was talking to a cat.

Fred worried about trying to carry Daisy up the stairs, he knew of the jinx on the Gryffindor's girls' dormitories. "Daisy, Daisy, listen to me. Are your stairs jinxed? So boys can't get in."

Daisy started laughing and for a moment, Fred thought she was ignoring his question until she giggled and said, "A boy found out how to remove that jinx _years_ ago." Fred smiled at the first year and carried her up the stairs, quietly, knowing her dorm mates would be asleep by this hour. Amadeus was following him closely. Once Fred reached the dormitory, he saw that Daisy had Muggle clothing laid out on her bed. This made him smile. He gently placed Daisy on the bed and moved the clothes into her trunk after folding them neatly. He slipped Daisy's trainers off of her feet and covered her with the sky blue comforter. A dorm mate started to stir, so Fred quickly pulled the drapes shut around Daisy's bed and got out of the Ravenclaw tower, quickly.

Returning to the party was not so easy, James had interrogated him as soon as he reached the common room.

"Where's Daisy? Why did you take her back? Why couldn't she just stay here? Was she okay? Did she have fun?"

"Mate, calm down. Daisy's fine. I took her back to the Ravenclaw tower, because she wanted to sleep in her own bed."

"Oh, really? I saw you in the girls' dormitories with her!" James shoved the Marauder's Map in Fred's face and Fred had never hated the sight of it more.

"She was a little… Off of it, so I walked her to her room. It's alright. Don't get your knickers in a bunch."

"Alright." James relaxed a bit, but his hand stayed resting in his pocket and Fred knew it was a dare to make him pull. Fred didn't want to start a duel in the middle of the Halloween party, so he bade his goodbyes and retired early, though he didn't sleep until hours later.

Daisy woke up with a pounding headache, she remembered last night, but she didn't like this whole idea of having a "hangover", that's what Grandpa Vernon called his illness after a long night of drinking. She sat up slowly. A girl was standing at the foot of Daisy's bed when she drew the curtains and Daisy let out a scream.

"Don't scream! I was just making sure you're okay. You were moaning and groaning."

Daisy smiled cautiously and nodded. "Just a headache." The girl nodded and slipped away as Daisy got out of bed and tried to wrestle her ungodly curls into a ponytail. She finally got them pulled into a blue ribbon. The other girls in her dorm were staring at her mercilessly, so Daisy slipped into her robes and ran out of the room. Amadeus was at her heels and Daisy laid down some treats for her before she left the common room. The voices in the hallway told her that she was just on time for breakfast; she hadn't checked the time before rushing out of her dorm.

She saw a dark-skinned boy, making his way to the door of the common room and she reached out to grab his hand as he passed; Fred had looked right over her. He jumped at the touch, then he turned to find Daisy smiling up at him.

"Hey, Zee." He smiled kindly at the eleven-year-old, then dropped his voice to a whisper. "How are you feeling?"

"I have a headache," said Daisy; her smile never faltered. Fred was worried though, she looked an awful shade of green. "Doesn't your dad make something to cure, er, hangovers?"

"First of all, you should not know what a hangover is." Fred couldn't help but chuckle when Daisy glared at him. "Second of all, fortunately for you, he does. Unfortunately, it's back in Diagon Alley and I haven't been there in months, nor have I learned the Summoning Charm from far distances. But if I send an owl now, I might get some before breakfast. Diagon Alley isn't too far for a couple hours of flight."

Daisy followed Fred to the owlery, on the way he had pulled out a quill and piece of parchment. He scribbled out a note to his dad.

 _URGENT_

 _Dear Daddy-O,_

 _James had a bit too much fun at the Hallowe'en party in Gryffindor common room last night. You know what it's like. Got something in those Skiving Snackboxes you could fix him up with? Thanks_

 _Fred_

 _P.S. Don't tell Uncle Harry because it wasn't really James and the last thing I need is Harry "The Chosen One" Potter bursting in McGonagall's or Longbottom's office asking how we got firewhisky. Thanks, Dad_

Daisy read the note over his shoulder as Fred called down his owl, George. Why he named his owl after his dad, the world may never know, but he was only eleven at the time.

"Your dad won't be suspicious about that last bit?"

"No, he'll assume it's Albus or Louis and won't want to upset any of my uncles."

"He won't be concerned about first years having firewhisky?"

"Of course, he'll be concerned, he'll probably write me every day for a week, making sure I got what I needed to get. But he won't tell anyone. My dad and I are close." Fred wrote another large _URGENT_ on the envelope before tying it to George's leg. "Don't come back without something in response," he told the owl and carried him to the window. "Alright; get going, girl. I'll see you at Morning Post hopefully."

"'Girl?' George is a girl?"

"Yeah, you didn't know that?"

"No! Why is her name George?"

"Because…" Fred looked down at his feet and color was rushing into his cheeks. He kicked at the dirt floor and finally looked up. "Since I was named after my uncle, I wanted someone to be named after my dad. They were twins, they shared everything. So I wanted to make sure they both got their names passed on. I named my owl George, and my dad teared up." Fred paused and looked back down at the floor. "I was so proud, that when I found out she was a girl, I kept calling her George to make my dad happy."

Daisy smiled at Fred and admired him for his compassion. "Well, shall we go to breakfast?"

"Breakfast? Are you kidding? It's seven o'clock in the morning."

"What do you mean? Why were the halls so full then?"

"Because people were getting back to their dormitories after all the partying."

"Really? People were still out _this morning_?"

"What, you thought you were the only person out past curfew last night? You thought you were the only outsider in the Gryffindor common room?" Fred teased her and threw an arm around her shoulders.

Daisy blushed before arguing, "Well excuse me for thinking Hogwarts students had more class than that."

Fred rolled his eyes and pulled Daisy closer, this time, when they returned to the corridors, they were near empty. The occasional ghost strolled by, and looked at the first and third years curiously. One particular ghost stared for a long time at the two and Fred finally called out to him. "Nick!"

The plump ghost looked rattled but approached the pair anyway. "Fred?"

"Do you know if James is up yet? I don't know the time and I've been gone for a while."

"No, I don't. I've been in a meeting all morning with the Bloody Baron. Apparently, it's _my_ job to look after Peeves." The ghost groaned and floated past them as Fred sighed.

"Peeves? As in the infamous Peeves the Poltergeist?" Daisy smiled excitedly.

When Fred nodded, she went on, "I've read about him! How amazing! May I meet him?"

"Absolutely not, he's trouble. More trouble than my Dad was when he was here. My dad actually got along with him pretty well, the twins and Peeves were jokesters together."

"Your dad _knew_ him? I've got to meet your dad!"

"Speaking of! James and I were wondering if you and your dad wanted to come to our grandparents' house for Christmas. Since you won't be going to your grandparents' house, we don't want you to be spending the holidays alone." Daisy forced a smile, she had not corresponded with her father since he had told her about her own family disowning her.

"Where is this house?"

"Oh, _I don't know,_ " groaned Fred. "We call it The Burrow. Granddad built it."

"You don't go to your mum's parents' house?"

"Mum's parents died. Her mum died after she graduated from Hogwarts and her dad died a couple days after the 2014 Quidditch World Cup. She lived with him to take care of him."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Daisy said quietly.

"What about your mum? I know she doesn't live with you, but you don't talk about her much."

"I never knew her."

"Oh, she ran off? With another man or just ran? We hear about that a lot."

"She died. Because of me. While having me. Complications due to child birth," Daisy's voice was barely above a whisper and Fred couldn't have heard her if they hadn't walked by a window that sent the sound waves his way.

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that."

Daisy shrugged. The two of them walked in silence.

"So about Christmas?"

Daisy shrugged again. "I'll ask Daddy."


	10. Chapter Nine: Daisy's Missing Home

In November, Daisy had started to get a bit homesick. She had tried to distance herself from Fred because he kept asking if she wrote her dad about Christmas yet. The truth was, Daisy hadn't written to her dad since her grandparents disowned them and she was scared to send him an owl. On the evening of the twenty-third of November, Daisy finally sat down in the common room and started writing to her father.

 _Dear Daddy,_

 _I'm sorry I haven't wrote to you. I've been busy with classes. I haven't been exactly fair to you though. I've kinda blamed you for what Grandma and Grandpa did to us. I didn't want to believe they would do that, so I just wrote it off as you said something wrong. Now I know you didn't do that. Grandma and Grandpa will come around and if they don't, then who needs them? I know they're your parents, Daddy, but I don't want poison people like that in my life._

 _Now, I've told you about Fred. That_ _cute boy_ _third year that's related to Harry? Well, his parents would like to invite us to Christmas dinner. Harry will be there too, he could take us._ _I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to tell Muggles._ _I'm not sure if I'm allowed to tell you this, since you're not magical, but I think I can because you know Harry. There's this way of transportation called Apparition, it's basically teleporting, like you see in films, Daddy. Fred goes on and on about it. I'm blabbering though, Daddy. Anyway,_ _Freddie_ _Fred wants to know if we can go to Christmas at his grandma's house._

 _I hope you say yes, but I won't pressure you. Write me back, Daddy. I love you._

 _Love,  
Daisy Dursley_

 _P.S. Happy Thanksgiving. I miss you._

Daisy set her quill on the table and put the cork back in the ink bottle. It was almost time for dinner, so she packed her things into her school bag and shooed Amadeus off of her lap. "I'll be right back, girl." Daisy slid her school bag under the table in the common room, it was usually deserted anyway, because everyone left when she walked in.

Daisy rushed out of the common room and made her way to the Owlery. She collided with a body as she ran inside. She recognized the being at once. "Albus Severus?"

"Oh, hi Daisy," Albus muttered. "Don't tell James I was in here, okay?"

"Alright," Daisy called after Albus confused, but he was already running down the spiral staircase. "George, girl? Will you deliver a letter for me?" The brown owl swooped and landed on Daisy's shoulder. Daisy steadily fed her owl nuts. "I know I owe you for the delivery on the first. I'll make it up to you," Daisy cooed lovingly at the owl.

"I need you to take this to my dad, Dudley Dursley." Daisy scribbled the address on the envelope and tied it to George's leg. "Thanks, girl." Taking one more owl nut, George took off out one of the open windows.

Daisy sat next to Fred at dinner and whispered, "I borrowed George. She's quicker than the school owls and I finally wrote Daddy about Christmas."

Fred smiled at her and nodded, "She's yours when you need her."

"Hey Daisy," Albus Severus's nervous voice sounded from behind her and he sat beside her.

"Er─ Louis usually sits there."

"I'm sitting here today."

"Alright," Daisy sighed and the Potter-Weasley gang had again fell near silent. The tension between Daisy and Albus had risen so everyone could sense it. "Why don't you just tell me what you were doing?" Daisy whispered so no one else could hear.

"W-what? I wasn't d-doing anything!" Albus shrieked, conversations fell quiet and Albus looked around with big eyes.

"Al, it's _me,_ you can tell me."

"I wasn't doing anything," Albus grumbled and Daisy could have sworn his eyes got misty, but he blinked and they looked no different than usual. Fred nudged Daisy's ribs and looked at her curiously. She shook her head.

Dinner appeared in front of them shortly after and Daisy ate her fill. Fred escorted her out of the Great Hall. "Is something going on at home, outside of school?"

Fred looked at her in surprise and his eyes widened. "Not that I know of, why? Is something wrong?"

"No, Albus is just acting strange. I'm worried about him, you know. He's near failing potions and you know he wants to be an Auror like Harry. I'm just worried about him."

"Albus is usually acting strange around this time of year. November has always been weird for him. When he was six or seven, the whole family went out somewhere─ I can't remember where─ and he met a girl. They were the same age and for months, James and I teased him about being in love with her. Ever since, he's been odd during November."

"Oh, er, well... I'll leave him alone then."

"As for Potions, don't worry. He'll pass his exams with flying colors. He does great under pressure and old Slughorn can barely see now. Apparently, we're supposed to be losing most of our professors next year to retirement."

Daisy looked up at Fred in interest, but they had reached the Ravenclaw tower. The eagle knocker was looking at Daisy expectantly. "Would you like to come in? I'm interested in the gossip." Daisy gave a half-smile, because she knew what Fred's answer would be.

"I─ I don't think I should, Daisy. You see…"

"No one's in there, and if there is, they'll all leave when I walk in before they even notice you're there." Daisy smiled up at Fred. "I don't think I've actually had any interaction with a Ravenclaw since last month. I spend my evenings with Amadeus, and only Amadeus, in the common room."

Fred stared at the small girl. "You've known?"

"About you trying to shield me from the cruel truth about inter-house cooperation? The fact that it is non-existent? Yes, I've known. Thank you."

Fred could have kissed Daisy ─not because he was interested in her romantically, of course─ but because she was so smart and observant. And so, he followed her into the Ravenclaw common room and when he entered, he saw a bit of black robes go through the doorway to the girls' dormitory.

Fred sat with Daisy at a table and told her about the rumors going around school. "I heard McGonagall _and_ Flitwick are retiring, so McGonagall will have to appoint a new Headmaster instead of it just dropping to the Deputy Headmaster."

"Or Headmistress."

"Pardon?"

"It could be a Headmistress, too."

"Oh, yeah. But there's not very many female professors, you see."

"I suppose," Daisy turned her head to her school bag and reached inside. She pulled out a piece of parchment and laid it out on the table. Then she pulled out ink and a quill. Fred continued to tell Daisy about the rumors of all the retiring professors, but his speech trailed off and eventually he stopped talking.

" _What_ are you writing?"

"You can read it in a moment."

"Are you telling me that's not an essay for class?"

"Of course it's not an essay for class! I get those done before dinner every night!"

"Alright, then. What are you writing?"

"A letter."

"To your dad about Christmas?"

"No, _I told you_ I already wrote him, I sent that before dinner."

"Then _what_ are you writing?" Fred repeated.

"I told you, a letter." Daisy stopped scribbling on the parchment to dip her quill in the ink bottle and she looked at Fred.

"To whom?"

"Rubeus Hagrid," said Daisy, her head turned to look at her handwriting.

"We could just take it to his hut, you know?"

"It's after curfew, we don't have any way to get down there." Daisy's quill was moving furiously along the piece of parchment.

"What are you writing to Hagrid for, anyway?" Fred ignored Daisy's protest to sneak out of the castle, though he knew James had a perfectly capable Invisibility Cloak, but he didn't want to explain it to her.

"I wanted to ask him about thestrals."

"Why?"

"I can't see them and I don't know why." When Fred looked at her curiously, Daisy continued, "I watched my mother die, I was in the room. Doctor told Daddy that I apparently knew something was wrong, because I didn't cry or kick or even move, really. I just stared at her for the longest time."

"I think you have to remember the deaths, but I don't know. I'll give him your letter during my next class." Fred had not spoken very loud, as the topic of death was ominous in the empty common room that had fallen dark.

"Thank you." Daisy finally sat her quill down and folded up the parchment. "Good night, Freddie."

"Good night, Zee."

On his way out of the Ravenclaw common room, Fred heard Daisy cooing at Amadeus and he smiled. Making a beeline for the Gryffindor tower, Fred unfolded Daisy's letter and read it.

 _Dear Professor Hagrid,_

 _My name is Daisy Dursley. Please do not judge me by my last name. I know who you are and I know you know who my dad and grandparents are. I am not like my grandparents and my dad isn't anymore. Coming to Hogwarts has taught me a lot about my own family history, so I do hope you will trust me. Anyway, I am writing you to ask you about a very important thing to me. My mother's death._

 _My mother died due to childbirth complications. The doctors say I watched her die, because I knew something was wrong. I know I watched her die because I know it was my fault. I don't have a mother and the only person I have to blame is myself. But I cannot see thestrals._

 _To see a thestrals, you have to witness death and fully grasp the concept of death. I know what dead means, dead means being gone. Right? Never coming back? Please help me, I am wanting to study Care of Magical Creatures during my third year._

 _Albus Severus told me you were kind and I do hope to hear back from you. Thank you, Professor Hagrid._

 _Sincerely,  
Daisy Dursley_

Fred knew, just from reading the letter what Daisy was so worried about. She was worried that either her mother was not dead.

Fred didn't know a lot about thestrals, his Care of Magical Creatures class hadn't advanced that far yet, but he thought that maybe it was probably due to the fact of Daisy not grasping the concept of death when she saw her mother die.

"Where have you been all evening?" James barked as Fred entered the common room.

"Gossiping, why do you always sound like a nervous girlfriend? You're not my type, James." Fred folded the parchment up and stuck it in the pocket of his robes. He made his way to the boys' dormitories with James following him, surprisingly quiet.

At breakfast on the following Thursday morning, the entire Great Hall was surprisingly quiet. There were some very important people missing. These people were James Sirius Potter, Fred Weasley II, Victoire Weasley, and Headmistress McGonagall herself. There were whispers of what was happening all around the House tables.

"Maybe McGonagall decided to retire early because of the Weasleys."

"Maybe James and Fred did something so bad that it killed their cousin and the Headmistress."

"James killed Fred, obviously. Victoire is in trouble because she's supposed to keep them all under control."

"Look at how pale Albus Severus is, James has definitely croaked."

"James isn't dead. It's probably that McGonagall finally kicked it."

Daisy could barely handle hearing people talking about who died or what happened to her best friends. She was sitting at the Ravenclaw table, because Flitwick had announced when breakfast began and every time someone new entered the Hall that everyone would be forced to sit at House tables.

More accusations and assumptions filled Daisy's ears and finally, she left. She stood, grabbed her school bag, and walked out of the Great Hall. She couldn't bear it anymore. She made her way to the second floor and walked until she found the Gargoyle corridor. The office no longer had a password, as McGonagall decided that students should be able to visit when needed. Daisy looked up at the Gargoyle.

"Your name?" A calm voice came from the statue as it moved to look down at Daisy.

"Daisy Dursley, first year. Ravenclaw House."

"Very well, Headmistress McGonagall will see you."

The door opened and Daisy walked into it, she followed a spiral staircase up to a door where she knocked. She could already hear Fred's voice.

"I _told_ you she would come here, looking for us, Professor. _I told you!"_

Daisy knocked louder and a gentle, female voice said, "Come in, dear."

At the words, Daisy pushed open the door and walked into the circular office. Portraits of previous Headmasters or Headmistresses lined the walls. The one portrait Daisy's eyes fell on was the biggest. It was a man, he seemed to be very tall, and a long white beard fell down his chest. His half-moon spectacles were very easily recognized. His portrait hung directly behind the Headmistress's desk. The old man looked down at her.

"You're Albus Dumbledore," Daisy knew it was silly, but she had to say it aloud to believe it herself.

"You're Dudley's child, then. Hmm?"

"Yes, sir. My name's Daisy. You knew Harry."

"Yes, I did."

Daisy knew this was the end of their conversation and pulled her eyes away from Dumbledore's blue ones. She scanned the room and finally, her eyes landed on Fred. "What's happened? Why weren't you at breakfast? Why are Houses being forced to separate? What's going on?"

"Daisy… Sit down, please?" Fred summoned a chair from behind a cabinet and motioned to it. He and James were already sitting in chairs across from McGonagall, who was sitting in her chair with her fingers interlocked over her chest.

When Daisy sat, James continued for Fred. "There's been an… Incident. It includes Fred's and I's fathers."

"Are they okay? What's happened? Harry's okay, right?"

"Your grandparents were included also," McGonagall's voice wasn't cold, but it wasn't comforting either.

"What d'you mean? My grandparents aren't wizards."

"No, they aren't, which is why when George Weasley and Harry Potter, the Chosen One, charged into their house with their wands held high, it looked odd to the neighbors." McGonagall, again, wasn't using her normal welcoming tone.

Daisy sprang to her feet. "Your parents attacked my grandma?" Daisy's voice was loud and she hadn't noticed she was yelling.

"Daisy, please. I told Dad about the letter from Dudley…" James's voice was full of guilt, and Daisy hadn't cared.

"Where are they?" she spat, "St. Mungo's? A grave? Where are my grandparents?"

"No harm was done to your family, Miss Dursley."

"It's Daisy, Professor." Daisy had never felt so angry, it wasn't like her to snap at authority figures but Harry, _her_ Harry, had went to her grandparents' house to scare them, maybe worse. Just because they disowned her. They threatened them with magic because they _hate_ magic. "It doesn't make sense. Why would Harry do this? He's not like that. What else happened? What aren't you telling me?" Fred and James both exchanged a look.

"Zee, sit back down." Fred, again, motioned to the chair. "Uncle Harry's lost his job at the Ministry because of this incident. James thinks… Well, frankly, we all think Dudley told Harry to do it. To scare some sense into Vernon like he used to when he wasn't quite able to control his magic."

"You think _my father_ told Harry to attack his own parents?" Daisy felt her face grow hot with anger. "Do you even know how much of a git you sound like right now?"

"Daisy listen, when Harry was younger, Vernon and Petunia were scared of his magic, they still are. So Dudley could have easily asked for a favor of Harry."

"But why would Harry ask George to join him instead of Ron?"

"Let's be frank. Ron doesn't like Vernon and Petunia. He never will. He already knows Fred and I like _you_ , so if Dad asked him, he would've said no."

"But why? They're best friends!"

"Ron thinks, since you're gonna be a part of the Potter-Weasley family, then if he can keep Vernon and Petunia out of the picture, then he won't have to deal with them."

"Alright, so if my dad _did_ tell Harry to do this, where does Victoire get involved? Why wasn't _she_ at breakfast?"

Fred and James both looked down at their laps. Daisy took the hesitation as more bad news. "What's happened to her?"

"She's run away with Teddy, her boyfriend," James didn't make eye contact, but Daisy could sense he teared up.

"Why'd she do that? How did she get out of the school?"

"There's…" Fred looked nervously at Professor McGonagall. "Secret passages to Hogsmeade, from there she could have apparated, she passed the test this summer."

"Miss Dursley, I'm going to need you to return to breakfast while I finish with Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter. If any further news comes about your family's involvement in this incident, I will call you back to my office right away."

"Alright, thank you Professor." And with that, Daisy made her way down the spiral staircase, past the Gargoyle, and to the library, where she would find something to read that would help her out of this entire situation.

Fred found Daisy sitting in the library right before dinner. She was sitting alone in the corner, her blonde curls were sticking every which way, and she had her nose in a book. A barely visible, pale hand was running through her hair, and Fred made his way to her.

"Zee? How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, Freddie, please." Daisy looked up at the dark-haired boy and swallowed a lump in her throat. "Go to dinner."

"No one has seen you all day, I went to check in with Professor Longbottom, you weren't in Herbology."

"I've been here."

"I'm sorry I didn't notice sooner. I've been with McGonagall, then James, Al, and I went to have tea with Hagrid. I gave him your letter."

"You did? Did he write back?"

"He said he'll send an owl for Morning Post. He didn't want me to read what he wrote." Fred saw the outline of a smile in Daisy's face and grinned at her. "May I?" he asked, motioning to the seat.

"Alright, sit." Daisy looked at Fred with big, misty eyes. "Any news on Victoire?"

"Harry found her. Well, actually, he found Teddy. And he made Teddy take him to Victoire." Daisy cocked her head and Fred continued, "They were in London, at Harry's house that he inherited. He used to take Teddy there, when he was little."

"And he went looking there?"

"There's protective spells all over the thing, he knew someone was there."

"So?"

"So… He went to Grimmauld Place and found Teddy, lounging in the kitchen."

"What about Victoire?" Daisy was listening eagerly now, she leaned forward, her blonde curls falling in the open pages of the book she had previously been reading. Her young, hungry eyes looked into Fred's with a new avidness.

"Victoire was there, Harry took her back to Bill's immediately and she should be back at Hogwarts tomorrow."

"Why'd she run away?"

"I don't know… I thought she liked it here, I thought she and Teddy were going to get married _after_ the year was over. Maybe they thought they'd get it over with now."

"Maybe something happened and she needed Teddy." Fred had not expected this answer from Daisy's young brain, but the way she looked down at her book and leaned back into her chair, Fred knew something was going on inside that head of hers.

"Do you know something?"

"About Victoire? No. But something happened with my dad and I knew I couldn't go to class. I just wanted to talk to you. And only you, no one else. So I sat here all day. Waiting, I knew you'd find me eventually. Even if you didn't need me, because I needed you."

"Why do you trust me with things like that? What if I never came?"

"But you did. You did come, you found me, because that's how this works. You knew I needed you, that's why you went to Professor Longbottom, that's why you came looking for me. _And_ that's why you didn't leave when I told you to."

Fred gave a slight nod and Daisy knew he understood, so slowly, she closed her book, stood up, and followed him to the Great Hall.

Dinner was quiet, the Houses were no longer being forced to separate, as Victoire was found and safe. But the missing, eldest Weasley was an elephant in the room. Barely anyone talked at the Gryffindor table throughout the entire meal, even James and Al had stopped bickering. Though Daisy was sure something was happening, because more than a few times, Daisy saw James wince.


	11. Chapter Ten: The Ultimatum

Victoire was back by Friday morning and Daisy had been back to normal, almost. She was still paler than usual and her hands had a slight shake to them. Fred had noticed this, because her hair wasn't pulled into a neat pony tail like usual; Daisy left the curls to stand on end.

Morning Post came on Friday, as usual. Daisy had eaten very little and pushed her plate away to open the letters she had. There were two letters for her, delivered by two different owls. Fred recognized one of them as a school owl and the other was his owl, George.

Daisy opened the letter with George first and skimmed through it. "What'd your dad say?"

"He said yeah, but he won't be there." Fred frowned, but nodded. _Dudley expected Daisy to go alone?_

Daisy continued to read through her father's letter.

 _Daisy,_

 _I know you have heard about what happened to my parents._ Your _grandparents, and I have not gotten a letter about how worried you might be for their safety. So excuse my manners, but I will decline the offer to go to the house of someone who attacked very dear people to me. You are welcome to go to Christmas with those people, if you'd like._

 _I must inform you, if you do attend Christmas dinner with that lot, I will not expect to see you in my house ever again._

 _Goodbye,  
Dudley Dursley  
P.S. I'm slightly disappointed that you didn't show more concern. Your grandparents are fine, if you ever might be wondering. For your own conscience. _

Daisy blinked back tears that threatened to fall and pushed her father's letter away from her. In her haste to pick up Hagrid's letter, Daisy missed Fred picking up the discarded parchment. Daisy opened the letter from Hagrid and read over the wording. The handwriting was sloppy and the shaking of her hands had not helped. The letter said what she had expected, she had to comprehend death at the time of death, _or_ maybe the doctors had lied. There was a possibility she had not watched her mother die.

Daisy saw Fred put down a piece of paper, and his normally dark skin paled ever so slightly. With one swift movement, he grabbed her elbow and started to pull her out of the Great Hall.

"Fred, ouch! _You're hurting me_!" Daisy pulled out of Fred's grasp and he turned to look at her. The Great Hall was full of people, but in that moment, it seemed only they existed.

"Daisy, not here. Don't make me talk about it here." Daisy watched as Fred's face lost even more color and nodded. She followed him, this time more willingly. Fred led Daisy to an empty classroom and made her sit down. "I don't want you at Christmas."

Instantly, Daisy stood up. "You read my letter!"

"Of course, I read your letter, Zee! I needed an explanation why your _father_ would let you spend Christmas with strangers. I won't let you walk away from your family for me."

"It's not for you. It's for Harry and George and James and Albus. It's for all of you. It's for the fact that you guys have treated me more as family than my family has. It's for…" Daisy trailed off, her voice breaking. She sat back down and put her face in her hands. Fred made his way to her.

Kneeling in front of Daisy, he whispered, "You don't have to do this. We will still love you and we will still be here for you even if you don't come to Christmas. We're not like _them_ , we won't make you choose between family and friends."

"I've already made my choice. Let me live my life, Freddie."

"Daisy, listen to yourself. You sound like you're thirty. You're eleven, let yourself live. Don't grow up so fast. You're more mature than James and I."

"Maybe there's a reason for that. Maybe _this_ is the reason for that. Maybe I'm supposed to walk away from life as I know it."

"No one should have to walk away from their family, Zee. Think about it."

"I have, I knew this was coming. I knew I was going to have an ultimatum. I've chosen you. I've chosen the Weasleys and the Potters. I've chosen the life I've always wanted. I've chosen my family."

"Zee…"

"It's okay, Freddie. You don't have to fight for me anymore." With that, Daisy turned and walked out of the classroom.

The rest of the day was odd, Daisy felt like she had a weight lifted off her shoulders. She walked with her head held high and a big smile plastered on her face. Fred, however, felt low, lower than he had ever felt before. Daisy was choosing strangers over her own family. He had to tell James.

It was less than a day earlier that Daisy had hated them for attacking her grandparents, now she was willingly giving it all up for him… _And James and Albus…_ She was eleven, no one would let her make this decision, right? Dudley was bluffing, but yet something told Fred that Dudley wasn't bluffing. He was serious. Fred had to tell James.

Daisy had just gotten out of Double Potions, and feeling as bright as ever, she made her way to the Great Hall for dinner. She saw Fred and James talking outside of the doors and walked by them without a word, but something she overheard made her turnaround and listen closely.

"She's honestly thinking about leaving her family… _for us?"_ James whispered.

"Yes!" An exasperated Fred replied, throwing his hands in the air.

"We can't let her do that, Fred. We gotta write dad or Uncle Ron or Uncle George or… Charlie! Uncle Charlie will help us. He's got to. He doesn't have his own kids to take care of. He'll help us out."

" _How?_ He doesn't know Daisy, or Dudley for that matter. He won't know what to do."

"I don't know! But we can't just let her walk away from her dad."

"Yes, you can. And you will," said Daisy, revealing herself. "I've made my choice, and if you wish, tell McGonagall, tell Charlie, tell Harry Potter himself. No one is going to stop me. I told my dad that I didn't need poison people in my life. He's included in that." With that, Daisy turned and made her way to the Gryffindor table where she found her seat next to Louis like usual.

"Fred's telling everyone, you know." Louis, who barely ever talked, was looking at her out of the corner of his eye. "He's trying everything to stop you."

"Everyone?"

"The whole family knows it, he had Victoire call a meeting."

Daisy rolled her eyes. "I suppose you all have a secret plan to stop me."

"The meeting is tonight. He'll explain it to those of us who don't know yet. I think you'll win this though, not much of our family like your Muggles, you know. Because Uncle Harry and Uncle Ron."

Daisy nodded solemnly and smiled at Louis, who was even smaller than her. "I guess you all know about the attack then?"

"Yeah, guess Fred and James were wrong then? Dudley didn't tell Harry and George to do it?"

Daisy gave a dry laugh and nodded. "I suppose they were."

Fred and James joined the first years at the Gryffindor table shortly after and looked at them suspiciously. Fred hugged Daisy to his side and she shrugged him off. "Zee, listen to me─"

"I'm going to write Harry. I'm going to tell him what's going on and I'm going to ask him what he thinks I should do. If I should stay at the Leaky Cauldron or if he thinks he'll have room for me." Daisy didn't want to listen to Fred's explanation of why she should stay at her father's house.

"What if Harry tells you that you should stay with Dudley and the Muggles?"

"Then I'll stay at the Leaky Cauldron for the summer holiday. I'm still allowed to come to the Burrow for Christmas, right?"

Fred and James exchanged a look of exasperation and then sighed in unison. "Of course," they replied together.

After dinner, the Gryffindors accompanied Daisy to the seventh floor, but Fred was the only one that continued with her past the Gryffindor tower to the Ravenclaws'.

"You're sure about this?"

"Come in, we'll talk about it after I get out of this tie."

Fred nodded and followed Daisy inside the door of the Ravenclaw tower after she answered a riddle. Upon entering the Ravenclaw common room, Daisy stripped her winter cloak off of her shoulders and then took off her tie. She laid them on the back of what she called 'her chair.' As Fred sat down across from her, Daisy pulled the blue ribbon out of her curled hair and let the curls fall free. Carefully, she pulled a tattered book out of her school bag.

"What is _that_?"

"A book about the history of the Ministry, it magically updates every time someone is fired or hired. It was started in 1818." Daisy smiled up at her best friend as he looked curiously down at her. "I'm cross-referencing it with this." Slowly, Daisy grabbed another book that was just as old and torn as the other. "It's the laws."

"Alright? May I ask _why_?"

"To see if I can get Harry his job back, of course!"

"How are _you_ going to get Uncle Harry his job back?"

"You absolute git! What he did didn't break the statute of secrecy and it wasn't an attack against Muggles because they're Muggles."

"And how are you going to prove this to the Ministry?"

Daisy looked down at her feet nervously and pulled out the letter her father had written her so long ago.

"H-how?" Fred was also looking down at the fragile parchment.

"I didn't want to lose it. I repaired it. And I've kept it in my Herbology book ever since. I've read the book four times, so I don't need to use it. I knew it wouldn't get lost."

Fred nodded and then smiled at Daisy. "You're a genius!"

"I know." Daisy smiled back at Fred. "Now, I think you were wanting to talk to me about something."

"Are you sure you're up to this? Walking away from your family, I mean?"

"As ready as Ginny is to play Quidditch."

"Then I'll back you up. I just need to know that you're going to be happy in the long run."

Daisy grinned at Fred in awe. He cared about her. He _really_ cared about her. He wanted her to be happy and safe. That's all he wanted. That's all he needed to know.

"What?" Fred asked.

"Nothing," Daisy replied quickly, maybe too quickly.

Fred nodded and then stood. "I should get going, you know how James is."

Daisy nodded back at him and smiled. "I'll see you then."

"See you," Fred replied and walked out of the Ravenclaw tower.


	12. Chapter Eleven: Who Fancies Who?

On Saturday, Fred went to Hogsmeade with James, Victoire, and the rest of the older Weasleys. Daisy stayed at the school with Rose and Albus. Louis had been off with his own friends, so the trio walked around the grounds aimlessly.

" _C'mon_ Al, don't tell me your dad doesn't tell you all about the secrets of Hogwarts."

"I swear! He doesn't. He always tells us, 'It's better to find it yourself.'"

"So your brother doesn't have the legendary Invisibility Cloak?"

"Not that I know of."

"Yes he does," Daisy spoke up. "Fred hasn't officially told me yet, but he shows up out of nowhere."

"That could just mean he's stealthy," Albus said doubtingly.

"Are you _kidding_ me? We're talking about _Fred,_ Al," Rose laughed and looked at Daisy. "You'll tell us when Fred does though, right?"

Daisy thought about the question for a moment. She loved Rose and Albus, she really did. But should she tell them something if Fred had told it to her in confidence? Daisy decided that she would avoid Rose's question by changing the subject. She'd tell Rose and Albus, of course, if it was okay with Fred.

"What makes you think Fred would tell me?" That wasn't exactly changing the subject, but Daisy was curious.

"You're joking. You _must_ be joking." Rose looked at Daisy in utter surprise. "Of course, Fred will tell _you_. He tells you everything else, doesn't he? You're his best friend. I haven't seen him spend so much time with someone outside of the family."

"Maybe he does when you're not with him."

"I _live_ in his house during summer holiday, Daisy."

"I don't know. I mean, Fred is my best friend. But I never really thought I was his."

Daisy really had never thought she was Fred's best friend. Of course, Fred was her best friend; she had never had a friend like him before, but maybe he does think of her as his best friend. Daisy was thinking about this as the three of them sat on the bank beside the Black Lake. An occasional tentacle popped out, but other than that, the Lake was calm. Daisy sat back, her hands supporting her, and looked out upon the water. She wondered what she would find if she went for a swim. It was too cold to do that now, her blue and bronze scarf was wrapped tightly around her neck and there was a layer of light snow on the ground.

She said, "Well, that's nice."

Rose laughed lightly and inched closer to Daisy. She dropped her voice, so Albus couldn't hear and whispered, "Do you fancy him?"

"Who? Al? _No!_ He's like my brother."

"Fred! You git!"

"Oh, er, Fred? No… He's my best friend." Rose smiled knowingly and started to clap at a fast pace. Then she squealed in a high pitch. "Alright, alright! I fancy him! Shh... Would you?"

Albus suddenly was looking at the girls curiously. "What's her problem?"

"Who knows, really? It could be anything." Rose punched Daisy in her arm and Albus laughed at Daisy's response. "Well, I have to make it back to the Ravenclaw tower to write Harry. I promised Fred I would ask Harry for advice." So Daisy stood and made her way to the castle and pushed through crowds so she could get to the seventh floor.

Daisy sat at a table in the common room and pulled out a piece of parchment. She wrote a letter to Harry explaining the ultimatum her father presented her with and what her options were. She explained the pros and cons of each of the options.

 _I could stay at the Leaky Cauldron, but then I would be alone and I've never been alone before. Or I could stay with you, but then you and Ginny would have to take care of me along with James, Al, and Lily. I don't want to be a bother._

Daisy made a point of not mentioning the option of staying with her father. She refused to go back there and if Harry made that an option then she would be sure to write him back and let him know exactly what she thought. Daisy stood carefully, and practically skipped to the Owlery.

After sending George to Harry's house, Daisy made to leave the Owlery and ran right into a hard figure. "Oi! Sorry."

"It's alright, Zee. It's just me, Al told me you'd probably be in the common room or here."

"Oh, hey. Sorry, I was trying to meet you in the Entrance Hall; you're back early."

"Yeah, James and I ran into some Slytherin blokes that we'd rather avoid, so we came back to the castle."

"So… You let some Slytherins push you around and force you to come back to school on your Saturday out."

Fred chuckled quietly, "Yes, that's exactly what happened."

"I wrote Harry. I should get a response on Monday, because Harry will be busy tomorrow, I'm sure."

"Why do you think Harry will be busy tomorrow?"

"Because it's Ginny's day off." Daisy winked at Fred and he rolled his eyes.

"Well, we have time before dinner, what do you want to do?"

"I don't know, it's too cold outside and we spend all of our time in the Ravenclaw tower. What about the Gryffindor tower? It's a Hogsmeade weekend, don't tell me there's not a party going on."

"There might be, but last time I took you to a party, you got drunk and James didn't talk to me for a week."

Daisy rolled her eyes and followed Fred out of the Owlery. A gentle breeze had picked up and Daisy had started shivering. Fred led her back into the castle and finally gave in. He told the Fat Lady the password, and pulled Daisy inside. "You don't leave my sight, no matter what. If I wonder off, you follow me."

"Okay." Daisy smiled innocently and noticed the Gryffindor common room was not nearly as full as it was on Halloween.

"It'll get more crowded after dinner, because this is the last party before Christmas holiday." Fred frowned. "Speaking of, have you heard from your dad?"

"Dudley? No. Haven't heard from him since his letter on Thursday."

"You should still call him your dad, no matter what he did to you." Fred looked down at Daisy and saw she had a scowl on her face. "Follow me."

Daisy followed Fred to the boys' dormitories and smiled ever so slightly when she saw the wall around his bed was covered in Quidditch posters and other photos, including a large family photo. Then after some studying, Daisy realized it wasn't a family photo at all, there were many people she didn't recognize as family. She thought them familiar, as if she'd seen them around school but hardly _knew_ them. "Fred? Who are these people?"

"Hmm?" Fred turned from his truck, which he'd been digging through. "Oh. That's… Er─ Family, kind of. Hang on." Fred straightened and pointed at the left most boy. "That's Scorpius Malfoy. Beside him is─"

"Albus, then Rose."

"Erm, yeah. Then the twins are Lorcan and Lysander Scamander. Then, well, you know Louis. And you should know Lucy, but that's Uncle Percy's daughter. She's in your year, I think. Then─"

"Lily and Hugo."

"Yeah." Fred moved his finger to the back row of people and pointed again to the leftmost person. "That's─"

"James and Victoire. Is that Victoire's boyfriend?"

"Yeah, that's Teddy Lupin beside them. He's Harry's godson. You know him don't you?"

Daisy shook her head. "I never got to meet him, but James talked about him a lot."

"Right, well, beside him is Dominique─ you know her─ and then Molly, that's Lucy's big sister. She's in my year. Then─"

"That's you and your sister."

"That's me and my sister."

"What year is she in?"

"Don't you know her? She sits across from you at the table."

"She's not really talkative."

"Yeah, she's too busy eyeing that Hufflepuff boy." Fred had somewhat of a frown on his face and then shook his head ever so slightly. "Well, she's in second year."

Daisy nodded, smiling. "Why did you bring me up here again?"

"Oh, yeah… I wanted to show you this." Fred was holding up a blank parchment and Daisy cocked her head.

"Oh? And what is that exactly?"

"It's a map."

Daisy coughed back a laugh and nodded. "Nice map, does it show where the invisible people are or the Crumple-Horned Snorkacks?"

Fred shot Daisy a glare of irritation and growled under his breath. "Ha─ha. Listen. _I solemnly swear that I am up to no good._ " Fred pointed his wand at the parchment and soon enough a message appeared.

 _Messrs.  
Moony, Wormtail  
Padfoot & Prongs  
Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers  
are proud to present..._

 _ **The**_ ** _  
Marauder's  
Map_**

After Daisy had time to read the welcoming message, Fred unfolded the parchment and a map of Hogwarts appeared. Daisy could see all sorts of names. Scorpius Malfoy and Rose Weasley were by the Black Lake. Albus Severus Potter and James Sirius Potter were in the Gryffindor common room. Daisy Dursley and Fred Weasley II were in the Gryffindor boys' dormitories. Daisy looked up at Fred with big eyes, full of amazement.

"How did you get this?"

"Teddy gave it to James last year. He took it from Harry's desk in the summer of his second year. Don't tell anyone about this, alright? You can't. James can't even know I told you." Daisy nodded and looked back at the map. Scorpius Malfoy was in the Great Hall now. Rose Weasley was on the third floor, moving up floors quickly. "Now watch." Fred closed the map again and whispered, " _Mischief Managed_ ," with his wand pointed at the piece of parchment. All the evidence faded away quickly.

Daisy looked at Fred sheepishly, "Do you guys have the Invisibility Cloak, too?"

Fred's eyes widened, which told Daisy everything she needed to know. "You can't tell anyone, Zee. James will _kill_ me."

"Do I ever go blabbing your secrets around the school?"

"I suppose not."

"Then why would I now?"

"Oh, shut up. Let's go to dinner."

Daisy rolled her eyes, but nodded. She had skipped breakfast _and_ lunch, so she was starving. As if wanting Fred to read her mind, her stomach growled and Fred snorted. "When was the last time you ate?" Fred asked curiously.

"Erm, yesterday, I think."

"Why didn't you go to breakfast?"

"I think the better question is why you weren't at breakfast."

"How do you know I wasn't?"

"How didn't you know I wasn't?"

Daisy and Fred shared a laugh before he accompanied her back down to the common room. Under the watchful eyes of James Sirius Potter, Fred and Daisy left through the portrait hole and walked down to the Great Hall.

Fred was right, the common room got a lot more crowded after dinner and Daisy had almost asked Fred to take her back to the dormitories, so she wasn't squished between seventh years all the time. It seemed all the people at the party were much older and taller boys. Following Fred around was not easy, and when she tried to hold on to his robes or his hand to not lose him, he shook her off. Daisy eventually gave up and sat on the sofa, next to Dominique and her beau again.

After not seeing Fred for _hours,_ Daisy contemplated going back to the Ravenclaw common room for some quiet reading time. She had left her school bag in her dormitory after dinner, and she was missing her book at the moment. Fred appeared out of nowhere and nudged Dominique. He made a signal with his hand, waving it to the right and then back to the left. Whatever this meant, it made Dominique pull her boyfriend out of sight and Fred sat next to Daisy.

Daisy wasn't particularly happy with Fred at this point in the night and it didn't help when he said, "What part of 'Don't leave my sight' don't you understand?"

Daisy shot a glare at Fred and it surprised him. He had never seen her that angry before, especially not at him. "Zee?"

"I tried to hold your robes and your hand, but you kept brushing me off. _Don't_ look at me like that! I did."

Fred had a puzzled look on his face. "Zee, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have shrugged you off. I'm just glad I knew where to find you and you didn't take any drinks from strangers this time." Daisy gave a faint smile, but didn't look at him. "Zee, look at me." She moved to look at him from under her eyelashes and Fred smiled. "Want to go for a walk?" With a small nod, Daisy stood and Fred followed. They were so oblivious to the outside world that they didn't see the Potter-Weasley gang sitting at the sofas by the fire watching the two of them closely.

"Did you see that?" James turned to Victoire, she was supposed to know what to do.

"James, I've told you _and_ Fred. I'm not dealing with your girl problems, I'm tired and I just want to go back to Teddy."

James rolled his eyes and turned to Dominique. "Just tell me what to do, tell me how to stop it from happening."

"Nothing's happening," Louis was sitting behind Albus and Rose, but he sat up straighter so James could see him.

"What do you mean? Did you see them?"

"I would notice something in the Great Hall. I sit next to them. Victoire sits on the other side of Fred and she wouldn't miss anything. Trust me."

James threw his hands in the air and said, "Fine. But if you're wrong…"

"I know."

"Bloody hell, where have you been, mate?"

"Out. What do you want?"

"To know where you've been, but if you don't want to tell me. That's fine, I could just ask Daisy."

"Why would Daisy know where I've been?"

"Because you left with her. The _last_ Gryffindor party of the term and you left with my little cousin."

"She happens to be a friend of mine." This was true, although, James was also correct Fred had been with Daisy. But he'd rather not share where he had been with Daisy and what they were doing. James would most definitely disapprove. Fred wasn't in the mood for a lecture from his best mate.

"She happens to be practically my little sister!"

"Yeah, but she's not, is she? Daisy and I aren't even related by blood."

"What does being related have to do with anything?" James's eyes went wide with realization and Fred sighed. "Do you _fancy_ her?"

"No! James, you sound like a lunatic."

"A lunatic protecting his family."

Fred snorted. "Family? When was the last time you had a conversation with her?"

"That doesn't matter. She's─"

"No, James. I think it does matter."

"You left with my cousin last night and didn't come home until this morning."

" _Home_? James, I think you've finally lost it."

James sighed, exasperated and walked back up to the dormitories. Fred smiled, contently and well-rested. He sat on the sofa beside the fire and started reading about thestrals.

"You did _what_?" Rose shrieked. "That's my _cousin_!"

"Mine too!" Albus added.

Daisy rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut up. It's not like something happened. We were hardly in the same room."

"You could have been in the same _bed_!" Rose's voice still had a girlish edge on it and Daisy sighed.

"But we weren't. We just stayed up really late, talking. Then we fell asleep. Nobody in my house found out and nobody in your house that would tell found out. _Right?_ "

"Alright," Albus and Rose replied together.

"So, what all did you lovebirds talk about?" Rose joked.

" _Don't_ call us that! It's not that kind of thing. We're best friends."

Rise waggled her eyebrows playfully and Daisy rolled her eyes. She did that a lot in Rose's presence, and maybe that was because Rose wasn't the quiet redhead Daisy once knew. She was one of the most popular girls in their year and most of the boys, that weren't related to her, fancied her. This has caused Rose to become much more outgoing and she had friends from all of the houses. Scorpius Malfoy and she spent a lot of time together, but Daisy never asked about Scorpius much.

"What about Scorp, Rosie? Don't you fancy him?" Albus rescued Daisy from Rose's suggesting looks as Rose shot a glare his way. Daisy and Albus shared a laugh and Rose huffed.

"Scorpius is a friend of mine."

Daisy scoffed. "A friend that you fancy and fancies you back."

"I do not and he does not! We are _friends._ I don't think you have much room to talk, Miss Daisy."

"Fred does _not_ fancy me. You've all heard him and James talking about me at meals. Fred would _never_ fancy a first year and especially not me." Daisy looked down at her feet, but didn't let the sad feeling get to her. "It doesn't matter besides."

Albus cocked his head. "Why doesn't it matter?"

"Because it doesn't." Daisy smiled mischievously and left the cousins by the Black Lake alone.

"James thinks something's happened between us."

"Rose thinks you fancy me."

Fred and Daisy had a habit of speaking at the same time and when they comprehended what the other had just said they yelled in unison, "WHAT?!"

"You first," Daisy smiled.

"No, you first." Fred insisted.

"I told Rose and Albus about last night and they think it means something because we fancy each other." Fred laughed, but why did it seemed forced? "Your turn."

Fred pulled at his tie before continuing. "James was awake when I came back to the Gryffindor tower this morning. He thinks something's happened between us."

"We slept on opposite sides of the room! On separate sofas. We barely slept in the same room."

"I didn't tell him that. I told him it was none of his business."

"Why would you do that? Now, he's going to make it his business. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he's listening right now."

"Don't say that, Zee! He isn't that nosy."

"Fred! You can't just not tell James something and expect him not to find out. He'll find out, one way or another."

Fred sighed, deep down. He knew it was going to be bad. He knew that this might be the fight that broke up James and his relationship forever. He didn't want to do it; he had too much to lose. But he also knew Daisy was right. He would find out. So then Fred waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Fred had been sitting in the common room, alone─ which was odd─ for hours.

Then James showed up. "Where have you been, mate? I need to talk to you."

"You _slept_ with my cousin?! And didn't feel like you needed to tell me?"

"Listen, mate. It wasn't like that. Let me explain."

"You have five minutes before I ask for a new dorm."

Fred nodded and started his story. Wait no. The story. The only story there was; the truth. "Daisy and I left the party last night because she was upset. I promised her that I would spend the night with her, but I hadn't been. So I asked if she wanted to take a walk. We left. We walked around the castle for a bit, Daisy wanted to go out to the grounds. But you know, they lock the castle at night. I told her no and she asked if we could go back to the party. I told her no again, because I knew that there would be drinking going on and I didn't want her to get hurt. I knew it was going to get bad because it was the last party of the term.

"So I walked Daisy to her common room. She spend a lot of time in there so she asked if I wanted to come in." James had sat next to Fred at this point, his facial expression softened. "I said yes, like I always do. Daisy was tired, so I let her lay down. I laid down on the sofa across from that. And we talked until the wee hours of the morning. At one point, I looked over and Daisy was snoring. I remember thinking 'I should leave.'

"But I didn't I stayed there, and fell asleep. Then Daisy woke me up at, like, seven. So we both left. Daisy had something to take care of and I had to come back here before you noticed."

"But I had noticed and you felt like you had to make up a story because I overreacted like every time I do when I see something going on between Daisy and you," James finished for him.

"Pretty much, yeah," Fred replied solemnly.


	13. Chapter Twelve: The Boy Who Lived

_Dear Daisy,_

 _First of all, I just want to apologize profusely for what I did to your family. Petunia and Vernon did treat me badly when I was a child. Although Dudley has become a better man in his adult years, I think he lets his parents rule his life. But I want to clarify to you why I did what I did with George. Alright?_

 _Your grandparents raised me, and I know they didn't treat me correctly. I am a bigger person and I have forgiven them, whether they want my forgiveness or not. But when James told me what had happened, when they said they no longer wanted you as family, I was overcome with rage. I went to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes to talk to my best friend, Ron. Ron wasn't there at the time, so I expressed my anger to George._

 _George has been receiving letters about you since the beginning of the term. We are both very glad that you and Fred found each other. It sounds like you're getting along great. But, the point is… We were both very upset to hear of this event in your life. You know I have come to love you as my own, Daisy. And George, through Fred's letters, has come to love you also._

 _What George and I did was not the right thing to do. I'm not saying it was at all. In fact, it wasn't. I'm not afraid to admit that. It was wrong. Very wrong. But George and I acted out of rage and not out of hatred. We hated that the Dursleys would hurt you like that, and we hated that someone like you could be left so alone. But we did not perform a hate crime. We were not thinking straight. We acted as if we were barbarians._

 _So Daisy… From George and me both, I'm sorry._

 _Now, I'm writing you in response to a letter I received on Saturday. About an ultimatum you were given. George has heard of this ultimatum, too. Fred, in his letter to George, said you would be writing me soon. Daisy, you know I would love for you to join me and the family in Christmas celebrations, but I do think you're growing up a bit quickly._

 _Do remember to live as a child, not an adult. Let yourself be spoiled and pampered. Don't run away. Ron seems to think that you would be safer with us. In the wizarding world. He thinks you should come stay with me and Ginny or him and Hermione._

 _George says he would take care of you, if need be. He is very well-off in a financial sense._

 _But I say, you write your father. Ask him to reason with you. I am your family, too, Daisy. You are allowed to tell him that. You're allowed to negotiate and talk with him. He is your father. He does love you, even if it doesn't seem like that._

 _Now that that is all said and done, Ginny would like me to tell you that you always have a bed in our house. No matter how long you need to use it, days or weeks or years. It's yours. The only thing that you mentioned in your letter that is absolutely not an option, staying at the Leaky Cauldron. You have plenty of family to go to. Tom is not family, as much of a good man he is._

 _Christmas dinner is up to you, Daisy. I won't dictate your future, but Ron, George, and I all have spare rooms with your name on them. Or you have a room in your own home._

 _Now, if you're not too offended, I would like to talk to you about this ultimatum situation you've talked about. I know I've mentioned a little previously, but I'd like to go into detail about it._

 _First of all, I'm sorry I put you in the situation in the first place. It is completely and entirely my fault. I know this, so please when you write back don't argue with it. I know you will, but maybe if I've been the father figure I think I have been in your life, you will think twice about disobeying my pleads._

 _I'm sorry Dudley has gone back on his ways like this. He was such a good father to you. On your tenth birthday, when you had one of your first magical episodes, he called me. I already knew what had been "wrong with you". (Although it was nothing wrong, at all.) I'm sure you know about The Book & The Quill. You're an avid reader and there are a few books on them. The quill had been eager to write you down after yoru second birthday. No one else had seen, but me. You made your small tiara float off your head. I _never _told your father about this. I worried what he would say. The book allowed the quill to write your name after the episode when you were seven, if you remember, it involved Aunt Marge._

 _I should have known better. James and Albus both had had their first brooms already and I wish I would have told Dudley so I could raise you like I did my boys, and how I am now raising Lily. I'm not saying I want to be your father, Daisy. Not at all. I just feel guilty that I was not. Now you are dealing with a lot more than an eleven-year-old should have to deal with. You are probably dealing with more than I dealt with as an eleven-year-old; I found out I was 'The Boy Who Lived.' I'm sorry that I was not the father I should have been to you, Daisy. Though I am not your father, I had a duty to you, and I failed._

 _Daisy, I'm going to tell you a story. And you're going to read it without skipping it because it's something you need to know. I'm not trying to put your grandparents down, nor am I trying to make you upset. I just want you to know the history between your father and me._

 _When I was young, my parents were killed. We now know that it was a dark wizard, Voldemort who killed them, but until I was eleven, I thought they died in a car accident. I was given to Vernon and Petunia, because my godfather, Sirius Black, the man I was supposed to be in the care of, was an alleged murderer and the man who betrayed my parents. We now know that this is also untrue. Anyway, when your father and I were young, I was the unwanted child. Vernon and Petunia had never asked for me. They didn't want me and I was a burden._

 _Your father was raised to think that I was not one to waste time with. I was not a playmate. I was invisible. You see, the way my life turned around, I don't remember much of this. But I do remember that I dreaded going home during holidays. I would stay at the castle during breaks and during the summer, I stayed in my room. I didn't even come down for meals often._

 _When I was seventeen, I told your grandparents about Voldemort and that he would find them and kill them if they didn't run and hide. Two members of the Order of the Phoenix came to take them away. Petunia and Vernon did not say goodbye. Not a proper one, but Dudley looked at me and said, "I don't think you're a waste of space." I will never forget that. I felt like he was apologizing for what his parents did to me, for what_ he _did to me for all those years._

 _When you were born, Ginny and I had already had James and Albus. I brought James by your old house to meet you. Dudley and I would send Christmas cards every year. By the time you and Albus were toddlers, I would bring the boys by for regular visits. Your father and I usually sat in silence while you all played together. I don't know if you remember this. But like I said earlier, I knew you were special after your second birthday. Though no one else did. I didn't tell your father, but I brought the boys around much more often. And you came to love me._

 _Dudley couldn't tell me to stop coming because you and the boys got along so well, and you liked me. But even though Dudley told me he didn't think I was a waste of space, I still don't think he wanted much to do with the magical aspect of my life. He knew I had married a witch and he knew my boys were magical. By the time, my little Lily was born, Dudley had come to love James and Albus, too._

 _I think what scared him off was when he found out you were magical. Don't let me influence you in anyway Daisy, but I think Dudley was terrified when he found out you were magical because he thought it had "worn off" on you. Not that you were born that way. Dudley could have taken you school shopping in Diagon Alley, you see. The barkeeper could have let him in. He asked me to take you school shopping, and of course I said yes, because I'd love to be in this part of your life. When I told him that he could, he said he'd rather not._

 _This is not all Dudley's fault, Daisy. He was raised this way and magic scares him. Just as it scares his parents. Don't blame your father for being scared, but blame the wizards that have scared Muggles so much that the good wizards have to give up family because of it._

 _That's all I have to say Daisy. I love you and there is always room for you in my home. I hope to see you at Christmas, Darling._

 _Love,  
Harry Potter_


	14. Chapter Thirteen: What is Home?

When Daisy got Harry's letter on _Thursday_ , which was later than Daisy had ever expected, she didn't tell Fred nor Rose nor Albus. She went to James.

"Wait─ _what_?"

"Harry says I can come stay with you all!"

" _Dad_ said that? He didn't tell you to take the high road and go home? He told you to stay with us?"

"Well, he told me to take the high road. He suggested I write Dad, but I think he would like if I lived with you guys."

"I see…"

"Somehow I thought you would be more excited; you're the only person I've told," Daisy pouted.

"I am, I am! I'm just… Thinking." In fact, James was thinking. Thinking about the fact that Fred would be at his house a lot and vice versa. Thinking about Fred going to Daisy's room instead of his. Fred trading Chocolate Frog cards with Daisy.

"James? Would you rather me stay at home?" Daisy's bottom lip quivered and she looked up at James.

James sighed and pulled Daisy close to him. "No, Daisy. I'm sorry. Of course, I'd love for you to stay with us."

"Are you sure? Because if you'd rather, I'll stay at the Leaky Cauldron. I don't mind."

James took a deep breath and tightened his grip on the first year. "Daisy, shh…" The third year patted Daisy's back gingerly. "It's okay. You're gonna be okay."

Daisy was releasing all the tears and frustration she had held back since the day her grandparents had decided to disown her. She was crying because she was worried James didn't like her. She was crying because Vernon and Petunia didn't love her anymore. She was crying because her father didn't want her. She was crying because Harry might have lied, maybe no one wanted her. "You're the only person I've told. Only you know, only you know."

"Daisy, calm down. Take a deep breath. You're going to be okay."

"D-do you think Harry was lying? Maybe he doesn't w-want me at all."

"Of course, Dad wants you! Are you kidding me? He would have adopted you when you were born if Dudley had let him!"

"What do you mean?"

"Ever since we were little, Dad has gone on and on about you being a star. He thinks you're the Golden Child."

"Does not," Daisy sniffed.

"Does too!"

Daisy laughed lightly and looked up at James. "I'm sorry I got your robes wet."

"Oh, I don't mind. But Fred's going to have a heart attack if we don't get to breakfast soon, okay?"

"Let's go." Daisy wiped her eyes and nose on the sleeve of her robes and straightened her hair. James straightened his tie out and led Daisy out of the abandoned classroom that was full of overgrown plants.

At breakfast, James "let it slip" that Daisy would be staying at his house during Christmas and would be moving in during the summer holiday. His excuse was that he was so excited, he couldn't contain himself. Fred believes it was a way to rub it in Fred's face.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Fred turned to Daisy and the expression on his face showed the hurt.

"I was going to, but I wanted to tell James first. I didn't want him to be mad at me if I moved in."

James gave Daisy a sad smile that didn't go unnoticed by Fred. He looked between the two curiously. He had never really seen them bond before and he wondered what happened in the last twenty-four hours that had made them such good friends without Fred noticing. He would find out though because James pulled him aside before Transfiguration that day.

"She's upset, really upset and you need to watch out for her."

"What happened this morning?"

"She broke. Just… Everything she's been bottling up for so long, out. She's going to break again soon if someone doesn't help her through it. She needs help."

"What happened to make her 'break'? She's stronger than that, she's not like that."

"I… I hesitated."

"Hesitated? What do you mean hesitated?"

"When she told me that Dad said she could stay with us… I hesitated."

"Why? Why would you do that?"

"I didn't expect it to happen. I didn't think that something like this would come along."

"So you… Hesitated?"

James gave a slight nod and said, "So I hesitated."

Fred gave his best mate a faint smile and pat his shoulder. "Don't worry about it mate. I'll take care of her." Together, the blokes made their way into the Transfiguration classroom where they were greeted by Professor Macmillan.

Daisy walked into Greenhouse One and was greeted by a very cool Neville Longbottom. He smiled kindly at her. "Hey Daisy, how are you?"

"I'm fine, what about you, Professor?"

"Well, I could use some help, you don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all." Daisy made her way to the supplies cabinet and got out her protective gloves and earmuffs. She could tell Professor Longbottom was holding a mandrake root, ready to pull it out of the pot.

"Earmuffs, everyone!" Professor Longbottom called to people that were in the Greenhouse already. "Daisy, hold right here!" He pointed to the very bottom of the plant like thing. "When I say go, pull!"

Daisy placed her hands as asked and adjusted her body so she was at a good angle. She was uncomfortably close to her Herbology teacher, the head of Gryffindor House, but this man would probably be at Christmas dinner with her.

"GO!"

And Daisy pulled the root up and the entire room was filled with an ear-splitting scream. Daisy winced; she had read about mandrakes before but she had never had to deal with one. Professor Longbottom quickly shoved the screaming plant back into the pots of dirt.

"Anyone want to guess what we'll be studying today?"

A Slytherin boy raised his hand and Professor Longbottom looked at him. "Greg?"

"Mandrake roots?"

"Precisely, take your seats, guys!" Professor Longbottom gave Daisy a gentle push and smiled kindly at her. "Good job," he told her as she walked back to her seat. "Five points to Ravenclaw."

No one smiled at Daisy for her points.

Daisy met Fred in the Entrance Hall of the castle after coming in from the grounds. "You weren't waiting for me."

"I got held up."

"With?"

"I got detention."

"How did you manage that?!" Daisy cried.

"Oh, James and I just pulled a small prank on old Ernie. He'll get over it."

"You can't call him that, Fred! He's your _teacher_."

"Oh, well. I won't be a prefect, boo-hoo. My dad wasn't a prefect either."

Daisy rolled her eyes dramatically. "You can't just go around getting detentions because you don't want to be a prefect."

"Yes, I can. And I will. Everyone is pretty sure McGonagall is retiring this year and all of the professors know Harry and Dad personally. I don't want to be made prefect because my dad wants me to be."

Daisy punched Fred's shoulder and he feigned pain. "You have Care for Magical Creatures to get to."

"So I do."

With that, Fred walked away and Daisy made her way to the Defence Against Dark Arts classroom. DADA was not as fun as Herbology. And it felt like the class kept going on and on and on and─ LUNCH TIME!

Daisy met Fred in the Great Hall. "I want to be a Herbology professor."

Fred laughed, but when his eyes met Daisy's, he saw she was serious. "Are you kidding? Professors never have children!"

Daisy laughed quietly. "Obviously, with my family history, it's probably best I don't breed."

Fred hit his forehead with his hand and sighed. "We'll talk after lunch, alright?"

"Alright?" Daisy was more than confused, but she followed Fred out of the Great Hall and into an empty classroom anyway.

"Let's talk about Christmas."

"I should have known this wasn't about my desire to become a Professor."

"Listen, maybe you can stay with me at the Burrow, just for the Christmas holiday while Harry and Ginny get everything ready for you."

"Is this some kind of sick trick that James asked you to do so he can talk Harry out of taking me?"

"No! James wants you there, he does. I'll just…" Fred's face turned bright red and Daisy cocked her head. Fred whispered something that Daisy couldn't understand.

"Pardon?"

"I'll miss you."

"WHAT?"

"Miss. You."

"You'll still see me."

Fred let out an extremely dry laugh and Daisy took a step back. "James will have us separated for as long as possible. He's jealous of you."

Daisy giggled and rolled her eyes at her best friend. "He is not. He's just mad because you've been _avoiding_ him."

" _Have not!_ "

"Have, too! You barely go to Quidditch matches to watch him play anymore."

"You can't see him half the time."

"He's keeper! Of course you can see him! You're avoiding him for some reason! You don't have to tell me why, but maybe you should spend some time with your best mate and then we won't have to stay separated for Christmas." Daisy smiled cheekily and Fred couldn't help but laugh.

The room was silent as the laughter died down, but the silence was comfortable. The two of them sat down at different tables and just looked around the classroom. Occasionally they would make eye contact and smile at each other, but they said nothing to each other. Fred reached out and held Daisy's hand. Daisy smiled at him gratefully. She suddenly wished she had told Fred about Harry's house before James. But James was like a big brother to the first year and she couldn't not tell him that she was moving into his house.

"Fred?" Daisy's voice was a bit hoarse from not talking, so she cleared her throat. "Can I ask you something? I want an honest answer."

"Of course," Fred's reply came immediately which made Daisy less nervous to ask.

"Does James _really_ want me to move in? I saw you guys talking before your Transfiguration class. Did he tell you that he does or doesn't want me?"

"He does! Of course he does! Daisy, I don't know how much reassurance you need, but we love you. All of us. And we'd love to get you out of Dudley's care if he's going to mistreat you." Fred paused and looked away from Daisy. "We're just not sure if you're ready to leave him."

"Of course I am."

"That's what you say now," Fred sighed and flashed Daisy a sad smile.

Daisy returned a less sad smile and Fred nodded firmly. Fred stood suddenly and slid through the room. He stood behind Daisy and she looked up at him. "Wha─?"

Fred grabbed Daisy by her sides and worked his fingers over her ribcage. Daisy squealed with laughter. "NO!" Daisy cried and tried to stand to avoid the hands that were tickling her mercilessly. She untangled herself from her chair and ran. She hid under the abandoned teacher's desk and tried to silence her gasping breaths. Fred had lost sight of her as she dived under tables and chairs through the room.

Daisy saw feet in front of her and bit her lip tightly. "Daisy! It's almost time for class again! C'mon out." The feet took a small step forward and Daisy gasped. Fred stopped mid-step and grinned to himself. He had heard her under the desk, he had known she was there, but she'd blame him for cheating.

Fred ducked his head and found the eleven-year-old, smiling, with her bottom lip between her teeth. "C'mon Zee. Let's go."

What happened after that was a bit of a blur to both of them. Daisy will tell you that he leaned forward, but Fred will say that he was attacked. But there was one thing for sure…

Their lips touched. It was Daisy's first kiss and Fred's second. Fred jumped backward and almost fell and Daisy hid her face in her hands. Fred jumped over a desk and ran out of the room and Daisy sat in the classroom until her cousin found her hours later.


	15. Chapter Fourteen: Don't Talk About It

Daisy sat under the desk with her head in her hands for two whole class periods and more. Fred continued on like it was a normal day.

When Daisy wasn't at dinner, James asked Fred where she was. Fred said he didn't know. Daisy asked herself what she was thinking, she told herself she didn't know.

James found the empty Transfiguration classroom that hadn't been used in years, he heard a slight shuffle under the Professor's desk and moved to it. He ducked his head underneath it and found his little cousin on the floor. She was snoring lightly and he shook her awake.

A drowsy Daisy didn't see her cousin standing over her. No, she saw her best friend and she apologized. When asked why, her only response was, "I shouldn't have kissed you."

James took Daisy to her common room safely, though she was horrified when she realized who she had really been talking to.

Fred laid awake in his bed, because his cousin and his closest friend, refused to talk to him. They were what kept him strong, and that night his dreams were of dark tunnels and a suffocating feeling.

Fred hated the way he woke with a gasp after not being able to yell out for the ghost of Daisy in his dream. He hated the way James looked at him like he blamed _him_ for this whole thing. What had been the words Daisy used? "I shouldn't have kissed you," right? How was he to blame?

Fred hated the way he looked for Daisy during breakfast, but just found a cold breeze on his left side. He hated the way he wanted to see her more, but also wanted to never see her again. He hated the way he hated her. And he hated the way he loved her.

Daisy hated the way she laid awake in bed all night, not daring to sleep. She hated the way her dorm mates looked at her when they found she was still in their dormitory even late in the morning. Daisy hated the way she hid her head beneath the pillow, so 'the nice one' would stop trying to get her to go to breakfast. She hated the way her stomach protested this refusal. But most of all Daisy hated the way her heart fluttered when she thought about snuggling into Fred's side at breakfast and gulping down pumpkin juice.

Daisy hated the fact that Fred hadn't _told_ James about what happened, instead it came from her, while she was half-asleep. She hated the way James looked at her as she entered her common room. Daisy hated feeling so vulnerable and immature. She hated the way she had been replaying the kiss in her mind over and over again. Daisy hated that she wasn't allowed to talk about it; she didn't have a mother to tell, or any friends. She couldn't go to Albus or Rose because they would probably be furious with her.

She hated the whole Weasley-Potter gang and their little 'code.' Daisy hated that she hated Fred. But she also hated that she loved him.


	16. Chapter Fifteen: Very Weasley Christmas

Daisy and Fred went a couple of weeks without talking, but after so long, they couldn't just not talk to each other anymore. They both fell back into a normal routine of things. But they _never_ talked about what was now referred to just as 'The Event'. The Event was like a dream that both believed would go away eventually. Almost like it never happened. Although the memory was burned into the back of both of their minds.

Standing at King's Cross Station, Daisy had never felt so scared before in her life. The plan was in place and Daisy was happy about it. She was mostly worried about having to see her father again. She worried about him convincing her to stay in a place that she felt unwelcome in. Harry understood this and that's why he agreed to the plan in the first place. Though James tried as he might to get his dad to go against it, Harry refused and agreed to pick them all up around noon, which is about an hour after the train arrived at King's Cross station. It gave them enough time to say goodbye to their cousins that they would be seeing in just a few days and time to go over the plan once more.

The plan was this. Daisy and Harry would go to Dudley's house together. Daisy would walk inside leisurely─ "But wait, what if Dudley says something to you? What'll you do?" "Ignore him."─ And make her way to her own room. Harry would make Dudley stay downstairs, no magic necessary─ "What if Dudley becomes violent, Dad could get hurt, couldn't he?" "Harry knows what to do if things get out of hand. But we want to avoid drawing wands as much as possible."─ Then Daisy packs her things and Harry and she leave. Not a word is spoken to Dudley or anyone else who might be there─ "What if Dudley calls the police and reports you kidnapped or something?" "We have proof that says he kicked me out."

The plan was all in place, so as Harry and Daisy drove through Surrey in silence, Daisy went over it again and again. "We're here," Harry said proudly to Daisy. Daisy got out of the car slowly and moved towards the house. "I'll be a moment, go on without me. I'm sure it'll be fine." Daisy nodded, the plan was for Harry to come in after her anyway.

As Daisy turned the doorknob on her own front door and walked in the house, she felt like a stranger. Her father was laying on top of a woman, naked from the waist up and his mouth was on hers roughly. Daisy opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She wanted to scream, to get him off of her. She wanted him to stop. _I'm right here!_ Daisy screamed at him. But she made no sound. Harry came jogging up the front walk and covered his mouth instinctively when he saw the scene unfolding.

He cleared his throat, loudly, and covered Daisy's eyes that were now filling with tears. Dudley sat up at a quick pace and immediately scowled at Harry. "Daisy, my Darling, have you decided to come home?" The blonde sat up beside him, she wiped her mouth sloppily and leaned onto the back of the sofa in Daisy's living room. Her shirt was unbuttoned past her breasts and Daisy suddenly realized that she hadn't walked in on just any date. She felt like she was going to be sick.

"Of course not, Dudley. I've come to get my things." This was not the plan. The rule of the plan was to stick to the plan piece by piece or abort mission. Daisy chose to do neither one of these things and headed up the stairs. Dudley immediately tried to follow her.

"Go to hell, Dudley." Harry raised his eyebrows, but said nothing to correct the child. Dudley, now purple in the face, reminded Harry of his uncle Vernon greatly. He had a pulsing vein in his forehead, but the boxing scholarship had helped him out in the weight department. The smug look on Harry's face, apparently sent Dudley over the edge, because he was suddenly lunging at Harry. Harry, who was watching Daisy walk up the stairs, wasn't prepared and instinctively pulled his wand. Within seconds, Dudley was on the floor and not moving. The blonde from the couch screamed and ran to BigD's side.

"He's not dead, just stunned. I used my stun gun." Harry carefully put his wand back in his pocket, so the blonde wouldn't see it. So far, nothing had gone as planned and Harry hurried up the stairs to check on Daisy.

Daisy only had half of her books packed by the time Harry had come up the stairs. "Your dad's taken care of, and I don't want you to worry about him or the bint that he was with too much, alright?"

Daisy wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded. "Do you think she's prettier than my mum?"

"Your mum was one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen, Daisy." That was all Harry had to say on the subject. Daisy and he packed the rest of the room in silence. Daisy left her blue dress behind, the one she wore on her eleventh birthday. Along with the blue dress were all of her hair bows, a Muggle book she received for her seventh birthday, and a picture of Daisy, Dudley, and her grandparents. On top of the very last suitcase was a picture of her mother.

Sarah's young face still had a childish chubbiness to it, Dudley would say it was her pregnancy, but most noted she had always had chubby cheeks. Her smile stretched from ear to ear and her hand rested on her large baby bump. Her legs were neatly crossed at the ankle and she was leaning back on the headboard of her and Dudley's bed. It was Daisy's favorite picture, even though she didn't bring it to Hogwarts with her. Daisy worried about the well-being of the photo. It wasn't in mint condition as is, and Daisy didn't want any damage done to the only photo of her mother that she was given.

With three suitcases packed, Daisy and Harry left the room and headed downstairs. Harry saw them first, and Daisy saw them but didn't comprehend it quite as well.

The police officers were standing in the living room talking to Dudley and the blonde when Harry froze, Daisy walked a couple more steps down and they saw her.

"Is that your daughter, sir?"

"No!" Daisy yelled. "I'm not his daughter, not anymore," she claimed proudly.

"Young lady, you come down here right now!"

"Leave me alone, Dudley!"

"That man that's with her! He's the one that attacked my poor Duddie! He came in _our_ house and attacked _us_! That has to be against the law!"

"Daisy, come here. Right now." Harry demanded hastily, as the police took steps closer to the second cousins.

But Daisy was frozen in place. "Did she just say our house? Does she live here, Daddy?"

Dudley wouldn't make eye contact and Harry pulled Daisy into a bedroom. Holding onto Daisy's hand tightly, Harry turned and Daisy experienced an uncomfortable sensation similar to being pulled through a small tube. When she finally felt her feet touch the ground, Harry steadied her and she opened her eyes. "This is your front yard. Have we just apparated?"

Harry smiled gently at the young girl and nodded. She nodded, too, and sighed. Carrying one of her three suitcases, Daisy slumped into the house.

A simple look from Harry told the boys and Lily to not greet her. Daisy took her suitcase up to her attic room and laid on her uncovered mattress. "She said our house."

Upon Daisy's arrival at the Potter house, she hadn't left her room for four days. Extra forces had been called in. Fred was now making his way to the room and as soon as he knocked on the door, it opened.

"I recognized the sound of your footsteps," was all Daisy said upon turning and making her way back to bed.

"You look horrid," said Fred.

"Thank you, makes me want to leave my room that much more."

"C'mon Zee. What happened? No one will tell me. 'It's her story to tell'," Fred mimicked Ginny's face by raising his voice to a girly accent.

"My dad has a girl living with him."

"Oh."

"Yeah, 'Oh.'"

Daisy turned her back on Fred and he crawled into bed with her, wrapping himself around her. "You're going to be okay."

"How do you know?" Daisy asked, cuddling into Fred's front.

"I know you pretty well, Daisy Dursley."

"You might have known me when I was _that_ Daisy Dursley."

"Zee, tomorrow's Christmas Eve. Cheer up."

"Do I have to come down for Christmas and Christmas Eve?"

"Of course, you do! Grandma makes the best Christmas dinner and rumor has it; she made you a Weasley jumper. That means we have a 'D' along with Teddy's 'T' and _my_ 'F'. Don't tell me that won't be the _best_ family photo ever. I'll let you hang it in your dorm."

Daisy rolled her eyes at Fred's immaturity and despite her mood, she laughed.

"There's the Daisy I know." Fred smiled and jumped out of bed as the door creaked open.

"Daisy, honey? It's Ginny."

"Hi Aunt Ginny."

"Hey Freddie. Mind giving me a mo' with Daisy?"

"Hey Ginny. What's up?" Daisy sat straighter in bed.

"I haven't told Harry yet, but James told me about you and Freddie's kiss."

Daisy's face turned red and she hid her face in her hands. "We don't talk about it."

"Oh, yes you do!" Ginny smiled. "If you're going to be part of my family, I have to know about your relationship with my nephew."

"Why?" Daisy asked, genuinely curious as to why her "love life" (if you could call it that) concerned being part of Ginny's family.

"Because I can't adopt you, then Freddie would be your cousin."

"Oh," Daisy sighed.

"I'm not asking you to choose. I'm asking you to tell me how you feel about Freddie."

"Well─"

On Christmas Eve, Daisy laid awake in bed thinking about the next morning. She was supposed to give Ginny an affirmative yes or no. And she didn't know what to say. One could get her kicked out of yet another family. The other could lose her the closest friend she ever had.

When Daisy awoke, it was not on her own. Lily was jumping on her bed excitedly. "What?" Daisy groaned.

"It's Christmas! Mum and Dad said we couldn't go to Grandma's until you woke up!"

"Urgh. Alright. I'll be downstairs in a moment."

Daisy put on a red dress that her dad bought for her the previous summer. The dress had thick straps and a skirt that had three ruffles on it. She walked downstairs with her hair splitting every direction.

"Ginny? Will you help me brush my hair?"

"Sure, darling." Ginny followed her upstairs to the bathroom where Daisy stood facing the mirror and Ginny stood behind her, pulling her hair into a decently tamed ponytail. "That ok?"

"Thanks," Daisy replied and led Ginny down the stairs.

After arriving at the Burrow, Daisy was sitting in a chair in the corner. She hardly knew anyone there. Harry had always come to her house, so she knew very little of his family or Ginny's family. She knew Ron and George, she even knew most of the kids there. But they were playing Quidditch while it snowed outside and Molly Weasley was still preparing lunch for everyone.

They hadn't opened presents yet, because Fleur, Bill, and their children hadn't arrived yet. In the corner opposite of Daisy's sat a man, around Harry's age, with bleach blonde hair. Scorpius Malfoy had occasionally spoken to him, which made Daisy assume he was Draco Malfoy.

"What ya starin' at?" asked a familiar voice from Daisy's right.

"Who's that?" Daisy nodded her chin towards the man.

"Draco Malfoy, why?" Fred answered.

"Thought so. He's quiet."

"Uncle Ron and Dad don't like him. Harry invites him every year. His parents died under mysterious circumstances a few years ago. After they died, he started coming."

"That's sad."

"Rumor is, they were killed by Death Eaters." Not until she heard the voice did Daisy realize that the man had moved.

"Hello, sir," Daisy replied automatically as she stood at attention.

"At ease, soldier," Draco replied with an easy chuckle.

Daisy smiled shyly and looked to Fred for help in the situation.

" _Were_ your parents killed by Death Eaters?"

"Fred! You can't ask people that!"

"It's quite alright, young lady." Draco turned to Fred with a cold smirk. "I'm not sure, young man. My parents got mixed in with the wrong people when they were young. They were confused, and when they realized who those people _really_ were, they were pretty deep into what they were doing."

"Did your dad really have a Dark Mark?"

" _Fred!"_ This time it wasn't Daisy yelling. Harry was stalking towards them, his eyes set on Fred. "Why don't you go help Grandma with lunch?"

Fred scowled, but went to the kitchen anyway. Draco raised his left hand to wave, and Fred smirked. A white brand was visible under Draco's sleeve.

"Sorry about Freddie, he gets ahead of himself. How have you been this year, Draco?"

"Well, with Scorp staring school this year, Astoria and I have had the Manor to ourselves."

Harry's eyebrows went up in a suggestive way and Daisy took the opportunity to sneak away.

"He said _what?!_ " Rose looked over at Fred with a horrified expression as he mounted a broom and kicked off the ground. James, Albus, Fred, Scorpius, and the dads had set up a miniature Quidditch Pitch in the backyard.

"Scorp is going to _die_ when I tell him that!"

"What's going on between you two, anyway?"

"What do you mean?"

"I _mean_ you and Scorp have been making eyes at each other all day."

"Have not!"

"Have to!"

"Whatever. Scorp and I are best friends."

Daisy nodded dramatically and turned to watch the Quidditch game. Fred's team was winning, and with Scorpius as keeper on the opposing team, they were well ahead. While James and Albus had to face George to get their Quaffles through the hoop. Daisy smiled. She loved her new family. After a bit, even bundled in scarves and hats, everyone got cold and went inside. Molly had prepared hot cocoa for everyone.

"Can we open presents now, Grandma?"

"Of course, my dear."

Lily squealed and ran into the sitting room. Under the Christmas tree, there were many presents and Lily grabbed two that had her name on them. She opened hers in a hurry as everyone else filed in the room behind her.

Daisy smiled widely as Harry handed her two presents. "One is from Ginny and me. The other is from Molly." Daisy decided it was best to open the package from Molly first. She pulled out an oversized jumper with a 'D' stitched into the front. Daisy called her thanks to Molly, who was sitting in the corner of the room, smiling widely as her grandchildren and children opened their presents. Her husband, Arthur, stood not too far away from her.

Daisy opened the present from Ginny and Harry next. Inside the package was a small mirror. Daisy recognized the mirror right away as a two-way mirror. She had read about them in a book of magical communication.

Harry smiled at her as he slipped on his own oversized jumper that had an 'H' stitched into the front. Then, digging into his pocket, he pulled out a shard of something that was once the other half of the mirror. "Do you know what to do?"

"I just say your name into the mirror and you should be able to talk to me, right?"

"Or I can do the same, but if you ever need me, or Ginny. You whisper one of our names. We'll be there for you, no matter where you are," Harry whispered. "My godfather gave this to me before he died, and I made the mistake of never using it. Don't forget about your mirror, Daisy. Okay? Always call, no matter what it's for."

Daisy nodded and Ginny patted her back. "Put on your jumper, we're going to take family photos."

"I'm going to be in them?"

"Well, yes!" yelled Harry. "You're family!"

Daisy smiled contently and nodded. A turquoise-haired boy appeared in the doorway and waved to Harry.

"Teddy! Where have you been? We've been worried sick!"

"Calm down, Mum. I was visiting my parents."

Ginny, blushing madly, backed down and whispered something in Harry's ear. Daisy frowned a bit, but she knew who Teddy Lupin was and what had happened to his parents.

"Teddy, Mum just wishes you'd send a message if you're going to be late."

"I know, Dad. But it was a last minute decision." Harry nodded and pulled the boy, taller than him, into his arms.

"You know how she gets," Harry whispered, "Especially now that you're not at home anymore."

"I know," Teddy answered as he pulled away.

"Teddy, my dear!" Molly Weasley shouted from the corner. "Come get your presents."

"Coming, Grandma!" Teddy jogged to the old woman and held out his arms. They hugged, and then Teddy opened his presents. One was a box of dungbombs (Daisy swore she saw Ginny elbow Harry in the ribs) and a jumper with a 'T' stitched into the front.

"Thanks, Grandma. Mum and Dad."

Victoire appeared behind him and he put an arm around her.

"Alright everyone! Family pictures!"

The entire family lined up in order. There was almost too many people to count. With the little ones in front, the school-ages kids behind them and the adults, including Teddy and Victoire, in the back. Daisy was stuck in the frame behind Lily. After a big family photo, the kids took some with cousins.

Daisy, Teddy, and Fred got to take one, standing in that order. The adults, who had been emerged in the Wizarding world and had never heard of Social Media, didn't understand why the rest of the kids were giggling. Teddy was hysterical.

Daisy giggled with the rest of the kids, who had been working with the Muggle Internet due to their grandfather's interest in it. "You young ones know much more about this," he had said. They had been raised with computers and gaming consoles that their parents had never really understood.

James and Albus spent the rest of the day playing a particularly loud game of Exploding Snap which gave Fred and Daisy the chance to slip out of the Burrow to talk.

"We're not gonna talk about it," Daisy said as soon as Fred looked at her with his big green eyes.

"Daisy we haven't been talking about it for weeks now, we can't continue not talking about it!"

"Fred, keep your voice down!" Daisy hissed. "James knows and I don't want anyone else to know!"

"Why not?"

"Because if Harry finds out, he'll kick me out of his house!" Daisy whispered as Fred and she sat in the grass outside of the Burrow. A gnome ran by and Fred kicked at it. "We can't tell anyone, understand?"

"James knows, which means Ginny knows, which means Harry knows," Fred replied quickly. "He hasn't kicked you out yet, has he?" Daisy shook her head slowly and Fred smirked. "Then let's talk about it."

"Fred, no." Daisy sighed and frowned. "I don't need this right now."

Fred rolled his eyes dramatically and took Daisy by her shoulders. "Don't you realize what I'm trying to tell you?"

" _Fred_ , I can't talk about this."

When Fred continued to talk about it, Daisy pushed him. She hadn't really meant to do it, it was an instinct when he approached her quickly. She hadn't noticed the particularly large crowd of people that had noticed the argument through the window.

Fred approached Daisy again, the hurt evident in his eyes. Daisy had to turn away.

"Daisy, please… The both of us, we need to talk about it. Just us." He walked toward her, slowly at first, but when she started backing away, he reached out and grabbed her arm.

Daisy yanked away from him. Before Fred could comprehend what was happening, Daisy's right hand had flown to her wand. When Daisy realized what she had almost done, she ran.

Daisy had accidentally rediscovered the long abandoned orchard that was a few hundred yards away from the Burrow. After finding a shadowy, maybe sketchy place to sit, Daisy found the new mirror that she would also carry on her person. She whispered her cousin's name quietly. His worried face appeared in the glass quickly.

"Daisy! Where are you?"

"An orchard someplace, I'm okay," Daisy whispered back, worried about the reaction that her newfound parents would have.

"You've been gone for nearly an hour, we've been so worried." Ginny was speaking in the background, but Daisy couldn't make out the words she was saying.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to have everyone so worried. I just needed a minute to gather my thoughts."

Harry chuckled. "We know. Rose told us a bit of what happened. We're talking to Fred to make sure he doesn't bother you anymo–"

Daisy shoved the mirror into her pocket. They were talking to Fred. What if he told them everything that went on outside? What if he told them about what they were talking about outside?

Daisy decided that she needed to head back to do some damage control. Daisy stood and brushed the dirt off her red dress.

Upon her return to the Burrow, Daisy received six and a half lectures. The half was Teddy's, because he more said he was proud of how sassy she was to his cousin and that he sometimes deserved it. Daisy had to withstand from giggling at this, because Ginny and Harry were watching intently. The rest of the lectures were from, in order, Harry, Ginny, Molly, George, James, and Freddie.

Harry had not raised his voice, but became very firm about how she was never to run off or hang up on him like that again. Ginny had yelled for what seemed like hours, and Daisy assumed it was because of the answer she'd given her that morning. Molly had cried for most of her lecture, going on about how all the adults were afraid of losing her and that Daisy was very, very loved, which caused a lump to form in Daisy's throat. George spoke of how his son could get annoying, but she couldn't run off like that anymore.

"Because if I have to deal with my sister and brother-in-law going on about you all the time, I'll hang myself," he had said with a smirk on his face.

James complained about how he had to walk in the cold for an hour trying to look for her in a Muggle village where no magic was allowed. And Fred apologized over and over again for upsetting her, no matter how much Daisy tried to convince him that it wasn't and that she just needed time away, he kept muttering apologies.

By the end of the lectures, Daisy had felt guilty enough and when the Potters returned to their home, not too far from her childhood home where her dad was lying in bed with a gal that he never introduced her to, Daisy slumped up to her attic room and slept for the next seventeen hours. Daisy, not wanting to admit her depression to the Potters or Freddie or anyone, lied about having the stomach flu and didn't eat until five in the evening.

Harry, now a stay-at-home dad, had tried to coax Daisy out of her room until she finally rose at three. She had come out of her room to use the restroom, and although she retreated back into her room after she finished, Harry saw her which made him feel better.

Daisy worried mostly of what would happen if she wasn't spotted. Ginny would surely have some kind of article or one of those 'Have You Seen Me?' ads in the Daily Prophet. Daisy didn't use this to her advantage in anyway. The Potters mostly left her alone to deal with whatever it was she was dealing with. And although she never told anyone, she heard Ginny and Harry whisper to each other at night.

Some nights the whispers were about her. Ginny would tell Harry that she just had to get past this "funk" she was in when Harry expressed his concern. Daisy knew what "funk" Ginny was referring to and it upset her that after their encounter on Christmas morning, she would still refer to it as a "funk". Daisy never told anyone of the conversations she heard and on the way back to Hogwarts, she sat by herself in a compartment until her best friend found her and sat next to her sleeping body.


	17. Chapter Sixteen: Back To Hogwarts

"Zee," Fred coaxed the younger girl to wake up. "We're at Hogsmeade Station, we should go. Really, c'mon." Fred shook the first year awake with a bit of force and she sat up quickly.

"When did you get here?" Daisy asked with a slightly lethargic tone to her voice.

"You have got to stop sleeping, I don't think you've done anything but sleep since Christmas. You _slept through New Year's_!" Fred lifted Daisy off the chair and handed her her luggage. "We're at Hogsmeade Station."

Daisy lugged her trunk out of the train and on to the concrete platform of the train station. She knew her hair was in horrid shape. Fred was right, she hadn't done much of anything besides sleep since Christmas. It wasn't her fault, but her constant state of depression had been getting worse and Daisy didn't tell anyone what she was feeling. She couldn't bring herself to say the word out loud. She could hardly speak at all. Lily Luna had been worried about her, she knew. But she couldn't bring herself to tell her secrets to the nine-year-old just yet. She wasn't much older than her cousin, but she was much more mature. But then again, she was more mature than most people her age. Daisy wanted to scream "Help me" so someone could hear her thoughts, but all she could do was follow Fred through the crowd up the road to the castle. Daisy wanted to go straight to her room to sleep, but this wasn't possible. There was a feast and after that, a party. That she promised Fred she would attend. It was being thrown for the _only_ Gryffindor that stayed at Hogwarts for the holidays. Most of the house felt bad for him when rumor traveled through the wizarding community, so inevitably the party was thrown in his honor. Daisy couldn't remember the name now, but both his parents had died a couple years ago in a terrible accident. Daisy couldn't really even remember what the accident was.

The boy was in Fred's year and had never stayed at school for the holidays before, let alone by himself alone in the Gryffindor tower. Even most of the Professors were going home for the holidays nowadays. Rumor had it that the boy ate dinner alone with Professor McGonagall in her office. She had a soft spot for Gryffindors, of course, as she used to be their Head of House.

Fred helped Daisy along as she dropped her trunk at the entrance to the castle so the house elves could carry them up to their dorms during the feast. Then Fred made Daisy sit with him during the feast that she struggled to stay awake during.

"Aren't you going to eat that?" Louis asked, staring down Daisy's plateful of food. Daisy started to answer, but she was interrupted.

"Yes, she is. Keep your eyes on your own plate, you scavenger." It was not her playful protector that she expected to see when Daisy turned around. It was Louis's sister, Victoire.

"Victoire?"

"Let's talk."

"But─"

"Now."

Victoire tried not to make a scene as she walked with a very exhausted Ravenclaw first year out of the Great Hall. Daisy appreciated this effort, because every other time she had been pulled out of the Great Hall it had been less than conspicuous; she didn't think Fred even knew what that word meant.

"I know what you're going through, I might not know the specifics, but I know who the boy is and I know how you feel. When they found me, after I came back, I felt the same way."

"There's no boy─ I mean there is, but this isn't about your cousin." Daisy paused, looking at the real pain in Victoire's eyes as she thought about what became of her and Teddy. "This is about my dad, whatever 'this' is."

"Well, I see the way you look at him, and practically the whole family knows about your kissing, because Fred, the git he is, told James, who has now told most of the family. Excluding most adults, that is."

Daisy sighed and looked up at the seventh year. "I'm the one who told James." Daisy had never been so disappointed in herself before.

Victoire's eyes widened as Daisy nodded. "But James–" Victoire had finally caught on. Daisy hadn't told James on purpose. But Fred had admitted it when confronted with the situation.

Daisy sighed again and motioned for Victoire to lean closer. Daisy whispered so quietly for only Victoire to hear.

Victoire looked the first year up and down. She asked if Daisy knew if that was the right decision, and when the young girl nodded, Victoire decided that she would back her up in any scenario. Even against Teddy. The two girls had bonded at this point, because Victoire knew that she was the only person that knew Daisy's secret. James would kill someone if he found out. He had fought so hard for the girl to stay with her dad, and then he fought for the first year to come live with them. And she had made a completely off the map decision.

Daisy had been feeling a lot better since she had told Victoire about what she told Ginny. She had finally been able to confide in someone that she could trust to keep a secret. Someone that wouldn't fight against her, but would fight for her. Victoire didn't care about the "greater good." She didn't care about whether Daisy was growing up too fast; she just cared about Daisy.

The Gryffindor party went very similar to the other two that Daisy had attended. She lost Fred in the crowd at some point, but when she took her seat on the sofa as usual, Dominique and her beau weren't there. Louis, however, was.

Louis looked Daisy over and smiled. "You look better than you did over Christmas holiday." He looked into the crowd and squinted. Then he started laughing.

Daisy smiled at Louis's comment and then followed his gaze into the crowd. Fred was fighting his way through the crowd, his dark-red hair was practically glowing in the light of the fireplace.

Fred had finally broke through the crowd and smiled at his best friend. Being back at Hogwarts had made her look so much better already; she was practically glowing. Her hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail like she used to wear it. Fred admired his best friend for a long time before sitting beside her.

Daisy smiled up at him and leaned her head on to his shoulder. Louis headed to his dormitory while Fred and Daisy sat next to each other for the next few hours. They sat there until the party had died down. James saw the two of them and smiled to himself. He had finally trusted Fred with his little cousin, because he knew that she was safe as long as she was living with his parents and him.

James headed to bed around midnight, even though Daisy and Fred would be left alone in the common room together. He had no worries.

A fortnight had passed before anything else had happened. Daisy and Fred continued on like usual. They were back into a routine as if nothing had ever happened between them. Daisy woke up every morning before her dorm mates to get dressed and put her curls into a tight knot on top of her head. Daisy had finally had a few friends in her house. She dedicated this development to her newfound happiness. She finally worked up courage to speak to her dorm mates and they suddenly stopped avoiding her or ignoring her.

Amadeus followed Daisy around the dormitory as she skipped around getting ready for the day. The girl in the bed next to her had awoken and started getting ready. Amadeus hopped up on Daisy's bed. Daisy fed some treats to her cat and then left the dormitory. She headed to the Great Hall for breakfast. She used to be the only girl in her dormitory that slept through breakfast, but she was known for being in the Great Hall early and doing some homework before breakfast.

Daisy walked into the Great Hall right after the headmistress. Professor McGonagall took her place at that the teachers' table and smirked at Daisy.

Daisy pulled out her Herbology book and started to reread the chapter that they were studying in class. Soon, the Great Hall started to fill up. Most professors showed up first, then some Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. The Potter-Weasley gang showed up pretty soon afterward, and Daisy waved to her dorm mates when they entered the Great Hall.

The dark-skinned redhead was practically skipping into the Great Hall with his best pal at his side. Fred took his usual seat next to Daisy, while James sat across from the two of them. Fred said his good mornings while Daisy looked up at him.

Daisy cocked her head at her best friend, and then looked to her cousin. "What's wrong with Fred?"

James shrugged. "He's been like this since we woke up this morning. He was practically dancing around the room this morning."

Fred nudged Daisy and grinned down at her. "It's just a beautiful day. Alright? It's bright and sunny for a winter day, don't ya think?"

Daisy smiled, looking up at the charmed ceiling. It was quite bright outside for a winter day. It was a Saturday, and the way the boys were looking at her, she already knew what they were planning. She looked over at Albus and Rose. Rose showed off her toothy grin. Daisy nodded at the rest of the Potter-Weasley gang, and they all clapped and whooped. She rolled her eyes and laughed easily.

Albus and Rose were sitting underneath the tree by the Black Lake where Daisy expected to find them. Albus smiled and waved to her. Daisy waved back as Rose noticed her presence. The cousins grinned at each other as Daisy sat across from them.

Daisy leaned over to Rose, "They have it, the cloak," she whispered.

Rose's eyes widened and she gasped. "No way! Do they really?"

Daisy nodded, but shushed her friend. "You can't tell. Fred will have my head if he learns that I told you. James doesn't even know that I know."

Rose smiled at the blonde and crossed her heart with her fingers. "I'll never speak of it again."

Daisy smiled and leaned away from Rose. "What have I missed?"

Albus rolled his eyes, "Nothing. Rose is just always with Scorp and I'm always alone."

Rose giggled and look at her cousin. "Oh? What about that mysterious pen pal of yours?" Rose wiggled her eyebrows.

Daisy raised her own and looked to Albus. "Mysterious pen pal?"

Albus punched Rose in the arm and groaned. "You promised you wouldn't tell anyone about that."

"Oh, come on, Al. It's Daisy. She's as quiet as a mouse."

Daisy laughed, but looked to Albus. "So, tell me about her."

Albus shrugged. "She's just a girl that I met when I was younger during a Thanksgiving vacation that we took before we were in school."

Daisy's eyebrows shot up. She had already known about this mysterious girl, because Fred had told her about it. "Is that who you were writing to when I ran into you in the Owlery?" When Albus nodded, Daisy smiled at him. "I won't tell a soul, but you should. She's just a pen pal, why keep it a secret?"

Albus laughed loudly. "You think she'll be a 'just a pen pal' when Fred and James find out. I'll never hear the end of it."

"The end of what?" The familiar voice had Daisy turning around in a heartbeat. Fred took a seat next to Daisy. He positioned himself, so his arm that was holding his weight was behind Daisy.

"The end of nothing," Daisy answered flatly, jokingly leaning into him. Fred smiled at her, but backed off of his questioning.

Albus looked at Fred, then looked around for the other half of him. "Where's my brother?"

Fred smiled, "James has been challenged to a game of Quidditch by a good friend of ours."

Rose jumped up, and ran toward the Quidditch pitch. "They cannot play Quidditch alone!"

Daisy watched Rose run and cocked her head. "It's Scorpius Malfoy that's playing with James."

Daisy rolled her eyes. She knew that Scorp and James had some kind of rivalry, especially when it came to Quidditch. Scorp wasn't on a Quidditch team yet, as no first years were, but Scorp (and his team) had apparently always beat James at the Christmas games.

Fred and Daisy stood as Albus ran off after Rose to watch the one on one Quidditch match. Fred escorted Daisy through the yard of the castle. They didn't speak to each other much, but they didn't need to very often anymore. They mostly communicated through body language. They knew each other better than anyone else. Fred knew when Daisy adjusted her scarf around her neck that she was insecure about something. Fred saw the third year girls waving at him, so he pulled his arm from Daisy and slipped it around her shoulder. Daisy batted her eyelashes at the girls walking by them. Fred rolled his eyes at her.

"You amaze me sometimes, Zee."

"I do?" Daisy looked up at Fred curiously.

"You sure do."

Daisy laughed and shook her head, knowing that she wasn't going to get any clarification from the redhead even if she begged for it.

Fred pulled Daisy inside the castle sneakily. She knew something was going on, but she wasn't sure what. Once the pair had gotten to the seventh floor corridor, finally, Fred showed the first year what he was trying to in the first place: Chocolate Frogs.

"I got you these at my last trip to Hogsmeade, but we weren't exactly speaking at the time, so I hadn't given them to you yet. I figured today would be a good day."

Daisy giggled. It had been three weeks since the last trip to Hogsmeade. Fred and Daisy were still settling into their routine at the moment. Both had had their opposing silent treatments ongoing.


End file.
